BLAST
by shocklance
Summary: A young girl with a troubled past is destined to lead the next generation of Guardians. Can she overcome the painful life she has lived? Shoujo ai in later chapters. If that bothers you don't read.
1. Chapter 1 Cold Snap

**Hello to everyone out there. I'm shocklance and this is my first fanfic. (Well the first one i've ever dared to post.) First the customary disclaimer, I don't own w.i.t.c.h., I have nothing to do with it in any way, shape, or form. Warning, there will be shoujo-ai in later chapters. That being said, on with the show. **

Chapter 1: Cold Snap

It was the coldest winter on record in Heatherfield. Snow had been falling for days, the streets covered in ice. Temperatures had been dropping below zero for several nights. The city had all but shut down, only the most basic of services still in operation. Most people were content to stay indoors, to hunker down in front of a warm fire with their loved ones. The city's children were taking advantage of the schools being closed, enjoying the weather to the fullest. In all most people just looked it as a little extra vacation.

For one girl however it meant something else entirely, it meant her death. She had no warm place to retreat to, no home to call her own. Even if she did she wasn't sure she would make use of it at this point. The girl staggered through the cold, snow covered alleyways, knowing she wouldn't last much longer. She was only fourteen, but death didn't frighten her, not really. She had known for a long time that she wasn't meant to live a full and rewarding life. No, dying early was always in the cards. It was just a question of how and when.

And now she had the answer to that question. She figured it wasn't such a bad way to go, given some of the alternatives she had always imagined. She would just fall asleep and not wake up. No muss, on fuss. In a couple of days when the storm broke someone would stumble across her body. She didn't think they would be able to identify her, there wasn't much of her in the system for them to do it, her parents had seen to that. She would be buried in an unmarked grave and that would be the end of it.

Yet however resigned to her fate she was she was determined to go on as long as she could. She was going to struggle to hold on to every last second of life she had left. Even if was only a few short minutes. Despite her predicament she managed a slight smile. Soon the pain and misery she had felt everyday would soon be over. A life that had never meant anything to anyone, that served absolutely no purpose would be extinguished. That's the way it should be she thought.

She took a moment to reflect on her past, not that she had much of one. Where she had been born she had never known. It didn't matter now she supposed, it really didn't make a difference in the end. She always guessed the first few years of her life were happy, being a baby did have it's advantages, such as being blissfully unaware of the horrors she would one day endure. When she was roughly six was when it all began. At first she couldn't comprehend what was happening to her, or why her mom and dad were doing such mean things to her. She did her best to tolerate the things her parents put her through. They had never sent her to public school for obvious reasons. For whatever reason they had home schooled her, and even that was a awful experience, full of it's own tortures. They moved around a lot, never staying in one place for more then a couple of years. Two years ago they had come to Heatherfield. As she had gotten older things gotten progressively worse. Finally a few days ago after a particularly nasty episode she made her escape. She did her best to keep hidden and survive, and now she was about to lose the battle.

It was beginning she realized with a start. It was becoming harder to move, her muscles felt like they were clogged with glue, her breathing becoming more labored by the second. She was getting numb all over. She was struggling to take every step. Her vision blurring at the edges and it was getting harder to think. She dropped to her knees and began to crawl forward. The snow seeped into her clothes but she didn't notice, her body was beyond being able to feel it, and in her heart she knew it didn't matter. She reached out and touched something soft. After a moment her fading mind figured out she had found a car seat. It was probably just another piece of garbage tossed aside. Her thinking had become unstable, instinctively she climbed onto the seat, believing it would be a good place to rest. She curled up into a huddled ball of misery. Her eyes slowly slid shut and the world went black.

The snow crunched loudly as a woman with short red hair dashed through the snow. Her breath formed miniature clouds as she made an effort to get to her car as quickly as possible. She knew she shouldn't of been out in this weather, especially with the roads in such bad shape. But those documents had to be in at work, even if it was closed due to the weather. The building wasn't very far from home, and she considered herself a decent driver so she had decided to risk it.

The car was parked in an ally, the streets had been packed. She mentally berated herself, she had left the door to the backseat hanging wide open. She had been in such a hurry she had totally spaced and forgotten to close it. She trudged over to close it, as she got closer she froze in place. There was a strange person laying on the seat. At first she thought it might be an old friend of hers from the ragged clothes, but whoever it was, was too big and the lack of a god awful stench told her it wasn't him. She backed up a couple of steps, she reached behind and clenched for a pair of weapons that weren't there. She swore under her breath and quickly came up with a plan b.

"Alright, whoever you are, get the hell out of my car! And don't try anything funny!" The woman stood there waiting for a reply but the prone figure in her car didn't even stir. "C'mon already, incase you haven't noticed it's really cold out and I don't feel like freezing my butt off!" The person still did not move or make a sound. The woman had enough, she slinked forward, ready to pound the snot out of whoever it was. She balled up her fist as she got closer. She grabbed the person's shoulder and rolled them over. Her jaw dropped when she saw it was a young teenaged girl.

"Oh my God." She said in disbelief. "Hey, kid you alright?" She shook the girl gently but she didn't open her eyes. The woman touched the girls face, her skin was ice cold. The woman went to the trunk and grabbed a blanket which she threw over the girl. She checked her pulse which was still there. She slammed the door shut and hopped into the drivers seat. As soon as she started the engine warm air flowed from the vents. The girl needed help, but the hospital was too far away and the roads to treacherous. She grabbed her cell phone and hit the speed dial for one of her friends.

"Hello?" Came a voice from the other end of the line.

"Taranee, it's Will. I need you to meet me at my apartment! I've got a girl in my car who's out cold! I think she's suffering from hypothermia! You're closer then the hospital!"

"I'm on my way! Keep her as warm as possible! If she gets any worse call an ambulance, but let's hope it doesn't come to that , it'll take the medics way to long to get to your place in this weather!"

"Thanks T! I'll see you soon, I'm about ten minutes out!"

"Don't take any crazy risks on these roads Will!" Taranee said in a warning tone. "It's not like the old days anymore!"

"I know that, but this is one of those times that I wish it still was." Will hung up and gave the engine a little more gas. She looked back at the girl who's life she was trying to save. "Hold on kiddo, don't you dare die on me." After admonishing the girl to live Will turned her focus back to the road, hoping to get home in time.

**Well, there it is. The first chapter of my story, I'm sure it could be better. Reviews are welcome. I'll hopefully have the next chapter ready in a couple of days.**


	2. Chapter 2 The Lost Girl

**Well here it is, the second chapter. Before we get started I need to go over something, the story's rating. When I first posted it I accidently clicked on the mature rating when I ment to set to teen. I've fixed it, sorry if I confused anyone. I hope that dosen't turn anyone off from reading. I want to thank Penguin Lord0029 for giving me my first review. I hope i don't disapoint you. That said, let's continue with the story.**

Chapter 2 : The Lost Girl

In a third floor apartment two woman stood watch over a sleeping girl. Neither of them knew this girl, she was a complete stranger. Only a short couple of hours ago the girl had been fighting for her life, but under the careful ministrations of the two women it was a battle she had won.

"Well, she seems to be out of danger now." Said one of the women. "Her temperature is back to normal. It's a good thing you found her when you did. If she had been out there much longer I don't think she would of made it."

"Poor girl." Said the other woman. "I wonder who she is. I mean, look at the way she was dressed, she must be homeless."

"I'm not sure about that. I've seen a lot of homeless kids, and she doesn't seem like one. She's defiantly malnourished, but it's not as severe as you would normally expect. You can tell that she's skinny, but not overly so. It's as if she eats, but not that often , or if she does she doesn't get that much to eat. I can't be sure, but I'm thinking she might be a runaway."

"But what about her clothes? Wouldn't she be wearing something better? They're no where near her size. The pants have to be at least two sizes too big. Her shirt is way to small. Plus they're virtually rags. I can't believe they haven't fallen apart."

"I don't have an answer for that. She might of ditched any good clothes she had to disguise herself."

"So what do we do now?" The second woman asked.

"I'll call Child Protective Services in the morning. They'll place her in a group home until they can identify her."

"What happens then?" The concern in the woman's voice was unmistakable.

"Well that depends. If she's a runaway she'll be held until her family can be found. If she's an orphan they'll try to find her a foster family. But in either case that could take awhile, the system is insanely overloaded." The second woman looked at the sleeping girl with sympathy in her eyes. She knelt down and gently stroked the girl's matted brown hair. She could only begin to guess at the suffering the girl had gone through. The girl began to stir in her sleep. The woman backed off a bit, not wanting to frighten her if she woke up.

"Taranee! I think she's coming around!" Will called towards the kitchen. Taranee came back out and joined Will. They waited for the mystery girl to come back to the world of the living, eager to make sure she was alright and to learn her story.

The girl floated in a sea of nothingness, blackness surrounded her. While she couldn't see anything she heard voices in the distance. She was unsure of the source, they seemed to be all around her. There was defiantly two voices, but it was hard to make out what they were saying, the words unclear. Yet while she couldn't understand what was being said she got the distinct feeling they were talking about her. That didn't make sense to her, why would anyone waste their time talking about her? She couldn't see them, but they sounded close by. After a couple of minutes the voices stopped, but she felt the presence of someone close by, watching over her and trying to give her some comfort. The girl became confused, something wasn't right. Wasn't she supposed to be dead? What was going on? A small point of light appeared, it grew, piercing the darkness and causing the world around her to come into view.

"Good, you're finally awake." The girl turned her head quickly to face the speaker, making her dizzy. "Take it easy, you've had a rough night." Moving her head more slowly she looked into the smiling face of a very pretty woman with short flame red hair and brown eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Asked a dark skinned woman from behind the red head. She had several colorful beads woven into her bluish hair. She was staring thoughtfully at her from behind a pair of large glasses.

"Okay, I guess." The girl said in a groggy voice. She looked around the unfamiliar room. "Where am I?" She asked after a moments hesitation.

"My apartment." Said the red haired lady. "I brought you here after I found you curled up in my car. You gave me quite the surprise."

"I don't understand. The last thing I remember was crawling onto a seat left in the ally. I didn't see a car." The girl touched her forehead, searching her memory, but the last couple of minutes before she blacked out was fuzzy at best.

"The hypothermia must of made you delirious." Said the other woman. "You're a lucky young lady. If you had been out there much longer you would of died." The girl didn't answer, she just turned away. She looked down and for the first time noticed she was wearing something other then her own clothes. She had a oversized shirt on that went just below her knees. It was light blue in color and had a large smiling green frog on the front.

"Uhhh. What happened to my clothes?" She asked sheepishly. Her face turned a deep shade of crimson.

"Oh, sorry. We had to get you out of your wet outfit and into something dry. That's one of my old sleep shirts. I needed something quick and it was the first thing I grabbed." The red head said. "I'm sure I can find something else if you want. It's not exactly the most flattering shirt I know."

"No, it's fine." Said the girl.

"I'm Will, by the way, and this is my friend Taranee. What's your name?" The girl hesitated before answering.

"Becky." Was all she said.

"Is there a last name to go with that?" Asked Taranee. Good question thought Becky, she had never been told her last name. She guessed it was her parents way of denying their connection to her and to say she wasn't wanted.

"Just Becky." she answered.

"Okay Becky." Taranee spoke like she didn't fully believe her. "What about you're parents? Can you tell us where to find them?"

"No." Becky's voice dropped to barely a whisper.

"No, you can't tell us, or no you don't want to tell us?" Said Will. "Is there a reason you don't want us to find them? If you're in some kind of trouble we can help." She reached out to touch Becky reassuringly, but the girl instinctively backed away. Will withdrew her hand, afraid she had been to hasty.

"Where do you stay Becky?" Asked Taranee.

"Here and there." Will and Taranee could barely hear the girl now. "Wherever I can find someplace dry to sleep."

"Oh Becky…" Will said sadly. She could tell the girl was in some kind of trouble, but it didn't seem like she was going to open up to them right then. Taranee picked up on this as well, she gave Will a look that said they should leave well enough alone for the moment.

"Well, I need to get home. I'll come by in the morning to check on her." Said Taranee. She picked up her coat and a black bag and headed for the door followed by Will.

"Thanks T." Said Will, holding the door open for her friend. "See you later. Give my best to Nigel." Taranee nodded and left the apartment.

"What did she mean she would check on me?" Becky asked in a quizzical voice.

"Taranee is a doctor. I called her after I found you. She lives only a couple of blocks away and was a lot closer then the hospital." Will explained.

"Oh, I see." Becky said with a nod. A uncomfortable silence cropped up between them, neither of them knowing what to say.

"I bet you're hungry." Will finally said. "Some hot soup should do you good." Will walked off towards the kitchen leaving Becky alone. She heard the telltale sounds of a electric can opener followed by the subtle hum of a microwave. Becky sat up on the couch and looked around Will's apartment. The first impression she got was that Will had a serious frog fetish. There were figurines and pictures of the little green critters all over the room. In the far corner was a desk with a computer on it. On top of the screen was a large stuffed frog, it's legs hanging off the sides. Despite the over abundance of amphibians the place gave a sense of comfort and safety. Becky couldn't say why, it just felt like the place was somewhere she wanted to be. It was a strange feeling to her, to not be afraid and she wasn't sure how to react. Before she could reflect any further on the situation Will returned from the kitchen.

"Here we go. I hope you like clam chowder. It's all I've got I'm afraid." Will set a tray with a steaming bowl and a large glass of water on Becky's lap.

"I've never had clam chowder before, but it looks delicious, thanks." Becky picked up the provided spoon and began to eat.

"You've never had clam chowder before?" Will said in surprise. Becky just shrugged and continued to eat. Will seemed determined to make sure Becky finished the entire bowl. She grabbed a chair and sat in backwards, leaning over the back of the chair.

"That was good, thanks." Said Becky when she was done.

"I'm glad you liked it." Said Will happily. She took the tray back to the kitchen and returned a moment later with a small plate in her hand. "Here ya go. I figure you could use a treat. We need to get a little more meat on those bones of yours." Becky took the plate from Will.

"What are these?" The girl asked. Becky instantly regretted what she said.

"Hunh? Those are chocolate chip cookies. Don't you know what cookies are?"

"Oh, of course. I'm not thinking strait." Becky was far from convincing however. In her mind Will could only guess at what the young girl in front of her had gone through. How was it possible that Becky didn't even know what a cookie was?

"Well now that you're fed I think you need to get some sleep. Why don't you take my bed. It'll be more comfortable then the couch. I can sleep out here."

"Oh no!" Cried Becky in alarm. "Don't put yourself out on my account! I'm fine right here!"

"It's not a problem Becky. I don't mind."

"But I would, I don't want to trouble you anymore then I already have." Will opened her mouth to argue, but shut it again seeing that it would be impossible to change Becky's mind.

"Alright, if you say so. At least let me get you another blanket." Will went into another room and returned with the promised blanket. She unfolded it and spread it over Becky who was lying down again. "There you go, you should be all set for the night. If you need me for anything my room is the first one down the hall and the bathroom is all the way at the end."

"Um, Will." Becky said nervously. "Thanks, for you know, saving me."

"Anytime kiddo." Will smiled and turned off the lights. "Sleep tight, I'll see you in the morning." Becky rolled over and closed her eyes. So much had happened in such a short time. Becky's mind was full of swirling emotions, many she didn't even have a name for. She wanted to sort through them, but she was so tired. She let her mind go blank, and eventually she drifted off to sleep. Becky liked to sleep, it was the only time when she could forget how lost and alone she was in the world.

**And with that the second chapter comes to a close. Just some notes if anyone cares. When I first started writing this story the first two chapters were actually one long chapter. After some thought I realized that it dragged on to much and the two parts really didn't mesh that well. I feel it works better this way, what do you guys think? Once agian thanks for taking the time to read. I'll do my best to get the third chapter up as soon as possible. Please give me some reviews so I know how I'm doing. I want to do a good job and have a story you can enjoy. If you think there is a area I can improve on let me know. Sorry if i've rambled on here, I have a tendancy to do that. So until next time this is shocklance signing out.**


	3. Chapter 3 The Next Day

**Hey everyone! I'm back with chapter 3 ready to go. I would of had this up sooner, but my computer's hard drive crashed and burned on me and I had to do a full system restore, destroying all the work I had done on this chapter! I tell ya, technology can be such a pain at times! But enough of my complaints. Once agian I ask you to please give me some reviews so I know how I'm doing. With that I give you chapter 3.**

Chapter 3: The Next Day

Becky awoke with a yawn. She was stiff from her night on the couch, but it wasn't as bad as she had felt after a night on the cold ground. She tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but she wasn't tired and her bladder was screaming for relief. She reluctantly crawled out from under the blankets. At first her legs didn't want to work, having stayed in the same position for to long while she slept. After a few seconds she managed to get them working properly again and began the all important search for the bathroom.

A quick look down the hallway and Becky made a mad dash to the facilities in her quest for relief. On the way back out she noticed two doors on one side of the hall. Will hadn't mentioned a roommate. Despite her better judgment Becky decided to indulge her curiosity. She stuck her head into the door closest to the bathroom. She was surprised to find that except for a couple of cardboard boxes the room was completely empty. Becky then took a peek into Will's room. Like the rest of the apartment Will had filled it with stuffed frogs. She was about to leave when something on the top of the dresser caught her eye. A closer look reveled a pair of large knives in rough leather sheaths with straps. For the life of her Becky couldn't figure out why Will would have something like that. They were so out of place among her stuffed animals. Becky eventually shrugged it off, figuring it wasn't any of her business.

"Hey! Morning sleepyhead!" Will called from the kitchen when Becky returned to the living room. "I thought I heard you get up. You get a good nights sleep?"

"Yeah." Answered Becky.

"You ready for some breakfast?" Will asked enthusiastically.

"Sure."

"Well get in here! I've get a stack of pancakes with your name on it." As soon as Becky sat down at the table Will placed a plate with a huge stack of steaming pancakes before her. "Dig in. I can always make more if you want." As she ate Becky couldn't help but think how nice a person Will was. No one had ever shown her as much kindness as she had in the few short hours that they had known each other then Becky had experienced in her entire life. But she knew it couldn't last. However good a person Will was she wouldn't want her hanging around forever. Eventually she would want Becky gone. With that thought came a very important question.

"Um, Will. What's going to happen to me now?" She asked nervously.

"Well, Taranee said she was going to call Child Protective Services this morning." Will tried to be careful with what she said, not wanting to frighten Becky. "They'll help you find a foster family if you don't have one of your own."

" Oh, that sounds great." Becky tried to sound happy, but Will wasn't fooled for a second. She kneeled down in front of Becky and looked her in the eye.

"Listen, Becky. I want to help you. I know you're in some kind of trouble. Tell me what's wrong and I promise that I'll do whatever is necessary to fix it." Becky couldn't believe how sincere Will sounded. Was this some kind of trick to gain her trust? It didn't seem like it. But how could she know for sure? She had so little experience with people she couldn't tell. The thought of a foster family frightened her. It wouldn't be any different from living with her own parents. She'd be with people who didn't really care about her and were waiting to inflict there own tortures upon her. Will didn't and could never understand what it was like. She didn't want to deal with this. She tried to turn away but Will was having none of it. Every direction she looked Will was right there. There didn't seem to be a way to get out of this. Slowly Becky's lips began to move, the words beginning to form.

"Will, I…" Just as Becky began to tell her story the doorbell rang, interrupting her.

"Dang it! Hold that thought Becky. I'll be right back." Will reluctantly got up and went to answer the door. Once she was gone Becky got up herself and walked over to the window. She looked out at the snow covered streets below. She would forever be grateful to Will for saving her, but it was a momentary reprieve at best. No matter how things went from here the end result would be the same, she would be dead. Will's sudden cry of outrage brought Becky out of her private thoughts. She took a look into the living room and quickly hid. Taranee had arrived and she had brought a cop with her.

Will jogged to the front door. Whoever it was had the worst timing in the world. Just when Becky was about to open up to her they had to be interrupted. She hoped this wouldn't take long, she didn't want to lose what little progress she had managed to make with the girl. She opened the door ready to give whoever it was a piece of her mind. She quickly swallowed her words when she saw it was Taranee. Will knew was something was wrong from the grim expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" Taranee didn't say anything, she just walked in followed by a police officer. "What's with him!?"

"This wasn't my idea Will. When I called CPS this morning they informed me they don't have any space in the normal facilities." Taranee explained.

"That doesn't tell me what he's doing here!" Will cried in outrage.

"They're putting Becky into juvenile hall." Taranee said sheepishly.

"Over my dead body! She is not a criminal!"

"We understand that ma'am. She won't be housed with the general populace. She'll be protected." Said the cop.

"I don't care if she has a dozen armed guards twenty-four seven! If you want her you'll have to go through me first!" Will stared the cop in the eye, daring him to try.

"Ma'am, I have my orders. If you persist in interfering I'll be forced to arrest you." Taranee quickly stepped in before things could get worse.

"Officer, I would like to take her to the hospital and run some tests. I want to make sure she isn't suffering any aftereffects from the hypothermia."

"They have an infirmary at juvenile hall." The cop didn't take his eyes off of Will as he spoke.

"I'm familiar with the facilities there. They aren't equipped to do the tests she needs." Taranee reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. "If you give me a minute I'm sure can clear it with CPS."

"Look, I get that you want to protect this girl. But I don't want to argue with you and I've got a job to do." Will strode up to the cop and got in his face.

"Do you know lieutenant Lair officer?" From the twitch of his face Will could tell he did. "His daughter happens to be one of my best friends. How do you think he would react if he knew you were denying a teenaged girl necessary medical treatment?" The cop began chewing his lip, trying to decide how to answer. Fortunately Taranee once again acted to defuse the situation.

"I've cleared everything with CPS officer. You're free to go." The cop radioed his dispatcher who confirmed Taranee's story. He shrugged, gave Will a look that conveyed a sense of grudging respect and left.

"Well, I've bought us some time. The social worker assigned to Becky said she would meet us at the hospital. I asked her to try to find another option, but she didn't make any promises." Taranee said once the officer was gone. "Would you really of called Irma's dad?"

"What do you think?" Will said with a smirk. Taranee could only shake her head.

"I'm glad you're on my side. You can be real scary sometimes, you know that?"

"It's a gift." Will laughed a little before getting back to business. "So did you really want to take Becky to the hospital?"

"I was thinking about it last night after I left. I want to make sure she isn't suffering any ill effects from her lack of eating as well as the hypothermia." The two women walked back to the kitchen.

"Do you know Becky's social worker?" Will asked.

"I've meet her a few times. She's competent, but I wouldn't call her the most dedicated case worker around." Taranee said with a shake of her head.

"And she had to be the one assigned to Becky, great." The sarcasm dripped from Will's words. When they entered the kitchen they found Becky cowering in the far corner. "It's okay Becky, he's gone." Will extended her hand and helped Becky to her feet who had tears in her eyes. Will kneeled down and wiped them away.

"Why didn't you let him take me?" The girl asked in between her choking sobs. Will couldn't understand what she was hearing.

"What are you talking about? Did you want to go to kiddy jail?" Will said.

"No. But why do you care so much? I'm just a nobody." Becky said sadly. Will didn't know what to make of the girl's statement.

"You are not a nobody Becky! I don't know what you're life has been like. But you've got me now, and I swear you always will!" Will pulled Becky into a fierce hug. Something stirred within the girl. She didn't know what she was feeling or how to explain it. Was this what it was like to be loved?

"Will, we need to go." Taranee said hesitantly. "We don't have much time." Will backed away from Becky and nodded.

"I'll get your clothes. I hate putting you back into those things, but I don't have anything else that will fit you. At least they're clean now." Will said. She got up and left the room followed by Taranee.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Said Taranee once they had exited.

"Yeah, I do." Will said solemnly. "That girl needs someone to care about her, and it might as well as be me." Taranee could only smile.

Half an hour later found them at the hospital checking Becky in. Taranee led them to a exam room where she left them while she went to make the arrangements for the necessary tests. Neither Will or Becky spoke while they waited for Taranee to return. Becky swung her legs as she sat on the end of the bed. Being in a hospital wasn't a new experience for her. A visit to the hospital usually was a prelude to a hasty move to another city, which her parents of course blamed on her. Taranee finally returned followed by a nurse.

"Okay Becky, this shouldn't take to long. We're going to draw some blood and I'm going to examine you and then we're going to take some x-rays." Becky said she understood. Taranee drew the blood and handed it over to the nurse. "Have the lab run a full panel on that."

"You're good. I didn't feel a thing." Becky said in awe.

"Thanks. Okay Becky, could you take off your shoes and socks for me. I didn't see any signs of frostbite last night, but I want to make sure." For the next several minutes Taranee checked over Becky, doing the routine exams. "Well, I can't find anything wrong. You lucked out, you should be just fine. We just have the x-rays now."

"Why do I need that anyways?" Becky asked.

"Well, I want to get a look at your bones. I need to make sure they're growing properly." Taranee led the way to the radiology department. Will sat in the waiting room, eager for them to be done. She wanted to take another crack at getting Becky to open up about her past before the social worker showed up. After what seemed like an eternity Taranee came out with Becky in tow.

"All done. It'll be awhile before they get the films developed, but I think we don't have anything to worry about." Taranee said with a smile.

"Excuse me. Doctor Ashcroft." Said the nurse at the desk. "I just received a call saying a social worker from CPS is looking for you."

"Okay, thanks." Taranee said with a groan. "Let's go find her." As they walked Becky unconsciously hung onto Will. When they neared the front entrance a older woman in a dark business suit started walking toward them. "Ah, Mrs. Bower, good to see you."

"A pleasure as always Doctor Ashcroft." Mrs. Bower said curtly. "I assume this is the minor in question.?"

"Her name is Becky." Will already didn't like the social worker. There was just something about her. Like she didn't see Becky as a person.

"Yes, of course. Well, you'll be pleased to know that she won't be going to juvenile hall."

"Really?! That's good news, did a bed open up in one of the group homes?" Taranee said excitedly.

"No, I managed to locate the girl's parents." Becky's eyes went wide in fear, none of the adults noticed this however. "Seems she was reported missing several days ago. I've brought them with me in fact." Mrs. Bower gestured towards some nearby chairs. A man and woman that Becky knew all to well got up and turned to face them. Becky's father was tall with slicked back dark hair. His eyes were steel grey and cold. Her mother was about a head shorter then her husband. She had the same color hair as Becky, only cut short. She seemed to have a sneer permanently glued to her face. "This is Mr. and Mrs. Sumner." It took a moment for it to register with Becky that she had just learned her last name.

"Hello." Said Mr. Sumner. His voice sounded hollow and devoid of emotion. "I understand we have you thank for saving our daughter, Ms. Vandom isn't it?"

"Yes, that's me." Said Will. She stepped in front of Becky. There wasn't something she didn't trust about Becky's parents.

"We appreciate all that you've done for Becky Ms. Vandom." Becky's mom said as she walked up to Will. "We have been very worried about her and we're anxious to get her home. We'd like to compensate you for the trouble she caused you." She pressed a piece of paper into Will's hand. A quick look told Will it was a check for two thousand dollars.

"Wait a minute." Said Will who wasn't about to be bribed. "I've got some questions. Why did she run away in the first place? Why does she seem so underfed? What about her clothes?" Becky's parents didn't show any sign they were disturbed by Will's questions or that were going to answer them.

"I've already spoken at length with the Sumner's. And I'm satisfied that they are good parents to the minor. I've already agreed to return their daughter to them." Mrs. Bower said. Becky hung her head, knowing full well what that meant.

"Wait a minute, we haven't gotten the results from Becky's tests." Will was scrambling to find a way to keep Becky's parents from leaving with the girl.

"I've already reviewed her charts. According to the notes on it she is in good health and isn't in any immediate danger." Mrs. Bower approached Will and nudged her out of the way. She took Becky's hand and led her over to her parents.

"Taranee!" Will pleaded with her friend.

"I'm sorry Will, there's nothing I can do." Taranee said sadly. "We can't prevent her going back to her parents, it's out of our hands unfortunately."

"No…" Will moaned. She racked her brain to come up with a plan to hold things off for even a few minutes, but nothing she thought of would do any good.

"Thank you for your help Mrs. Bower." Said Becky's dad. He moved his family towards the doors. Becky looked back at Will. In a sudden move she broke free from her mother's grasp and ran back and hugged Will. She looked up into her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. Becky knew she would never see Will again after this moment.

"Goodbye Will." She said quietly. "Thanks for everything. I'm glad I got to meet you."

"Becky…" Will said. There was a finality to the girl's voice she didn't like. It was as if Becky thought she would never see her again. Becky's mother marched over and took the girl by the arm and dragged her off. Will watched helplessly as Becky was taken away. "This can't be happening." Mrs. Bower talked with Becky's parents as they left. A page for Taranee went out over the intercom for her to return to radiology.

"That'll be her x-rays, not that it'll matter now." Taranee said. "Go home Will. There's nothing more we can do, except hope she'll be alright." Taranee patted her friends shoulder reassuringly and walked off. But all Will could do was stand there and worry.

**I hope you enjoyed my latest chapter. It'll be awhile before I get the next chapter up. I want to make sure I get it right. I won't say anything else right now and leave it to your imaginations. See you all next time! **


	4. Chapter 4 Guardian Angel

**Hello and welcome back for the fourth chapter of B.L.A.S.T.! A big thank you to DayDreamer9, ellabell, and Miss Mermaid for adding thier comments. I hope you all continue to enjuoy my story. I also want to say thank you to Penguin Lord0029 agian as well. I apprciate you all taking time to say something about my story. It took me awhile longer to get this chapter up then I expected, but I think it benifited from it. Now then, this chapter gets a little rough for our heroine, nothing to over the top, but I'm just covering bases to be sure, so consider yourseleves warned. Agian I ask for reviews! (I'm gonna ask for them every chapter, so get used to it!) **

Chapter 4: Guardian Angel

Becky felt numb all over. She was back with her parents and from the looks in their eyes she knew she was in for a world of hurt. The social worker, Mrs. Bower was talking to her parents, but Becky didn't hear her words. Nothing mattered now, because something in her heart told her that very soon it would all be over. Mrs. Bower said goodbye and left Becky with her parents. Becky took one more look at the doors of the hospital, hoping to see Will, but she couldn't.

"Get in the damn car." Becky's mom growled. Becky silently complied. "Did you really think you could get away that easily you stupid little runt?"

"We own you, something you've seem to have forgotten." Becky's father said in his soulless voice. "And what do you think you were doing with that woman? Don't tell me you think she cares about you?" Becky didn't say anything. She knew better then that, any answer she gave would earn nothing but an angry stare, at best.

"Don't make me laugh!" Becky's mom said with a cold chuckle. "Who would like someone as worthless as you?!" Who indeed thought Becky to herself. Will was a very kind person, but she had been kidding herself, Will couldn't of cared that much about her. How could she, she barely knew her. It was foolish to think Will wanted anything to do with her. Becky kept telling herself this, but no matter how much she tried she couldn't bring herself to believe it. Even if Will did care, it didn't do her any good now.

"You've caused us a lot of trouble." Becky's father said. "We are not pleased. Because of you we are now out a lot of money, and we have to move again, and quickly." It came as no surprise to Becky. That was their standard response.

"But before we do that you're going to tell us how much that woman knows." Becky's mom said. She turned around and looked at the frightened girl. "I know you talked, and I want to know exactly what you said."

"Nothing! I swear I didn't say anything!" Becky said defensively. "Will doesn't know a thing!"

"I don't believe you. You're going to tell me what you said. Mark my words, by the time we're done with you, you'll be begging to tell us everything!" Becky swallowed frightfully as her father pulled the car into the driveway of their house. "Get inside, we have much to discuss." Becky got out of the car knowing full well that before she died she was going to suffer horribly.

Will walked in silence to her car. The cold weather felt more bitter now then it had when she had arrived. She was incredibly distressed over how things had turned out with her young friend. The whole encounter with Becky's parents had left a foul taste in her mouth. Despite what that social worker had said she was sure they were the cause of Becky's problems. If she could only of had more time with the girl she might have been able to get her to open up. Will got behind the wheel and inserted the key into the ignition, but instead of starting the car she just sat there. A pair of tears began blazing trails down her cheeks. It felt as if a great hole had been ripped into her soul.

"Will! Thank God you're still here!" Taranee's sudden cry made Will jump in fright. Seeing the distressed look on her friend's face she got out of the car.

"What's wrong!?" Even as she asked the question she had an idea what the answer would be.

"It's Becky's x-rays! Will, she's got numerous healed fractures in her arms, ribs and just about every other bone in her body! Someone has been beating that poor girl for years, and I'll give you three guesses who!" Will didn't even need one. Her face twisted into a furious mask.

"And that damn social worker sent her right back into the lion's den! Taranee we've got to do something!"

"I've already called the police, but it could take them some time to locate her. I didn't have the address, if they're even going to their house." Will jumped back into her car and started the engine. "Will! Where are you going!?"

"I'm going to go get Becky!" Will said as she put the car in gear.

"How do you even know where to go!?" Taranee asked. Will slapped the check Becky's parents had given her up against the window. Printed in the corner was their home address. "Will, let the police handle this!"

"Sorry T, I can't do that. Get the cops over there and hope to God they get their hands on those two before I do! I let that girl down once already today, I'm not about to do it a second time!" Taranee was about to argue, but she knew her friend too well and knew there was no stopping her.

"Be careful Will, and make sure you bring her back." Taranee backed off so Will could pull out.

"I will." Was all the angered red head said before she sped off. Taranee ran back inside to inform the authorities on where to go. "Hold on Becky. I'm coming for you." Will said as she drove furiously down the road.

When Becky entered her parents house she saw exactly what she expected to see. Most everything was already packed away in boxes. In the few days that had passed since she ran away her parents had managed to pack up the entire house. This came as no surprise to her, her mom and dad were experts in fast packing. Their record was having everything ready to go in two days. Becky heard her parents walk up behind her. Knowing full well what was coming she turned around to face them. She didn't see the blow coming, she usually didn't, her mom was incredibly quick with any strike she dealt out. Her mother's slap to her face sent Becky reeling. Her face stung horribly from the hit. Before she could recover her mother closed the distance and smacked her again.

"What did you say to that woman!?" Her mom yelled as she slapped Becky for a third time. "Tell me you little whore!"

"Nothing! I swear!" Becky cried out, tears ran down her face.

"Liar!" Becky's mom screamed as she hit Becky again, causing he to fall to the floor. "I know you said something, and I want to know what that something was!" She yanked Becky to her feet by her hair. The girl screamed in pain. "Talk, damn you! Tell me what you told her!"

"I didn't say anything!" Becky cried out through the pain. Her mother pulled her hair, yanking her head back. "Please! I didn't talk!" Becky pleaded to be let go, but instead her mother punched her in the stomach. "Why?! Why do you do this to me?!"

"Because you are a worthless piece of scum that ruined our lives!" Becky's mother screamed into her face. She shoved Becky to the ground and turned to face her husband. "What do you think?"

"I hate to say it, but I believe the little rat. She would of talked by now if she had said anything. Plus I think that Vandom woman would of fought harder to keep her at the hospital if she knew." Becky's father said flatly. As far back as she could remember her father had never shown a lick of emotion. He had always been a cold, uncaring statue. It never seemed to bother him whenever he or her mother beat her.

"Well, I guess we're in the clear. I doubt we have to worry about that idiot that took her in." Despite the pain she was in Becky couldn't stop from herself from standing up to defend Will.

"Don't you talk about her like that! Will is a good person! Better then you two!" Becky knew it was a mistake to speak to them like that, but she didn't care. Her father grabbed Becky by the neck and lifted her off the ground. She struggled to breath as he held her aloft. She pounded on his arms, trying to get free from his vice like grip, but to no avail. Just as she was about to pass out he threw her into the wall. She slid to the floor and collapsed, gasping for breath. Becky rolled over and got up on all fours. Her father came up to her and delivered a violent kick to Becky's stomach. She screamed and fell back down to the ground. She curled up into a ball, clutching her belly.

"Don't you dare to speak to us like that you ungrateful brat! We never wanted you, but we kept you anyways out the goodness of our hearts!" If she didn't hurt so much Becky would of laughed at the statement. "You've been nothing but a waste of space and a drain on us from the moment you were born! And this is how you thank us!? By daring to talk back to us!? I think it's time we ridded the world of your miserable existence!" Becky's mom continued with her rant, but she wasn't listening. An idea came to mind. If just a couple of sentences had provoked such a response, then maybe she could use that to end her suffering, once and for all. If she could anger them enough they would finish her off a lot more quickly then they had planned. It would be her way of ending things on her own terms. She was tired of the constant pain she felt at her parents hands every single day. Tired of the beatings, tired of the putdowns, it was just to much to bear anymore. It was time to bow out of this sad play called her life. She staggered to her feet, ready to die.

"I won't let you talk about Will like that!" she cried out. She knew it wouldn't be hard to push them past the breaking point. "I don't care what you do to me, you jerks! Will is worth a hundred of you!" Becky's words had the desired effect. She could see the rage growing in their eyes.

"You little bitch! I'll kill you!" Her mother reached into a nearby box and pulled out a large kitchen knife. The blade was thin and slightly curved, and in the dull glint of it's metal Becky saw the release from her pain. The enraged woman marched forward, grabbed the girl by the hair and placed the blade against her neck. "You're dead!"

Becky closed her eyes. She filled her mind with the few precious memories of her time with Will. She wanted her last thoughts to be of her. She thought of waking to her smiling face. She thought about how Will stopped the cop from taking her to juvenile hall. And most importantly she remembered how Will had cared about her, when no one else in the world ever had. With those thoughts in mind she waited to feel her mother slide the blade across her throat. She didn't see her mother's arm muscles tense as she prepared to pull the knife. Just as she was about to end her daughter's life, the front door crashed inward, startling all three people in the entrance way. They looked at the disturbance. Will stood in the doorway, her foot still descending from having kicked the door in.

"Don't you dare touch her you bitch!" Becky couldn't believe what she was seeing, how was it possible that Will was there!? Becky's rescuer charged into the house. Becky's father stepped in front of Will. He towered over her, effectively blocking Will's path to Becky. He swung his massive fist at the smaller woman. But it was a wasted move, while Will was lacking in size and strength she more then made up for it with pure speed. She easily dodged the blow, ducking under the punch. His momentum carried him forward into Will's own strike. She drove her fist into his solar-plexus. He grunted in pain and surprise. The large man crumpled to his knees and Will delivered a sharp blow to the back of his neck. He fell on his face, unconscious. "Let her go now!" Will shouted, turning her focus to Becky's mom.

"Back off! I'll cut you , I swear I will!" Becky's mother screamed as she pointed the knife at Will.

"No! Don't hurt her!" Becky cried out.

"Shut up!" Will made a move to grab the knife, but Becky's mother saw what she did and put the blade back against Becky's throat. "Try that again and I'll kill her!" Will stood her ground, her mind franticly looking for a way to save Becky. "Get out of here now! Leave, or she dies!"

"Not going to happen! We both know that the second I leave you'll kill her anyways!" Will didn't budge an inch. There was no way she was leaving without Becky.

"Please Will! Just get out of here! I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt because of me!" Becky could feel the edge of the knife blade pinch the skin of her throat as she spoke. "I'm not worth it!"

"I told you to be quiet!" Becky's mom shouted in her daughter's face.

"You wanted to know my story. Well, I think you already have a good idea as to what it is." A sense of peace settled over Becky as she began to talk. She had lived with such a terrible pain in her heart for so long it felt good to finally be able to release it. "I can't remember a day where I haven't taken a hit for something. I lived everyday of my life hoping I wouldn't get to bad of a beating. I'm tired of living in constant fear, always afraid of what I might do to anger my parents. I've gotten smacked for nothing more then spilling a glass of water. All I've ever heard is how much of a loser I am."

"Oh Becky…." Tears flowed down both Will's and Becky's cheeks. "God, I'm so sorry you've lived through that for so long."

"I can't take it anymore Will. I've always know I was going to die, and it doesn't bother me. I don't want to live this way anymore, and I'll never escape my parents." Becky was now lost in her sorrow. Will could feel the girl's pain behind her sobbing voice. "We both know I'm not going to make it out of here. Please Will, just walk away. I don't want you to see me die."

"I'm not leaving you behind! I don't want you to die! You mean to much to me!" Will's statement sent Becky into a state of shock. She had never thought it possible anyone could actually want her alive.

"I've had enough of this crap! Just die, damn you!" Becky's mom raised the knife high into the air. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the wicked looking blade descended towards Becky's chest. She could only watch as it got closer. Becky clenched her eyes shut and waited for the blizzard of pain that would end her life, except it never came.

"Gyahh!" Becky opened her eyes at her mother's cry of pain. In the brief few seconds it took for her to raise the knife Will had rushed forward and decked the horrendous woman in the jaw. She fell backwards and crashed through an end table. Becky was at a loss for words, Will had just saved her for a second time. Will grabbed Becky and pulled her in.

"Thank God your alright!" Will wailed into Becky's hair. "Can you ever forgive me!?"

"Forgive you?! What are you talking about?!"

"I let you go back to these monsters that dare to call themselves your parents! You could have been killed! I never would of forgiven myself self if that had happened!"

"You've got nothing to be sorry for! This is just how my life is!"

"Not anymore! Listen to me! Death is not the answer Becky! I promise you things are going to get better for you!"

"Die!" Becky's mother had gotten up unnoticed and was now running strait at the two of them, intent on finishing them off. Her eyes were lit up with pure insane rage. Will turned herself to protect Becky from her mother. A gunshot echoed through the room, making Will and Becky jump. The knife wielding lunatic cried out and fell back to the floor.

"Will! Becky! Are you two okay!?"

"Taranee!? Mr. Lair!?" Will said in surprise. Irma's father moved towards the prone form of Becky's mom, his still smoking gun pointed at her. He kicked the knife away before bending down to check on the woman.

"Is she?" Asked Becky, unsure what answer she wanted to hear.

"She's alive. I got her in the shoulder." He went over to Becky's father who was starting to stir and placed him in handcuffs. "You sure did a number on him Will."

"He got what he deserved." Contempt filled her words. "Oh yeah, Becky meet lieutenant Tom Lair. His daughter Irma is a good friend of ours. Though I'm surprised to see you here Mr. Lair."

"I called him right after you left the hospital." Taranee explained.

"So this is the infamous Becky. Taranee filled me in on the way over." The sound of distant sirens began to fill their ears. "That'll be my backup. Good thing I called for an ambulance to come along, I don't want that hag to bleed out before she can rot in prison."

"And we need to get you back to the hospital Becky. God they did a number on you." Taranee said as she checked over Becky's injuries. A number of bruises were already beginning to form on her skin. And although she hadn't noticed earlier, blood trickled form a cut on her lip. "We'll need to keep you there for a couple of nights for observation, but I think you're going to be fine."

"Thanks to Will." The girl said gratefully.

'That's for sure. I've heard about guardian angels before but I never thought I would ever meet one, and now I got one standing right in front of me." Will blushed at Tom's words, silently vowing to live up to that title.

"C'mon, let's get you out of here." Will guided Becky outside to the front lawn. Moments later several police officers and paramedics filled the area. Tom came back outside while the other officers went inside to handle things. Taranee and Will were in an ambulance with Becky waiting to go to the hospital when Mrs. Bower showed up.

"What happened here?" She asked briskly. Will became indignant, jumping out of the ambulance and getting the social workers face.

"What happened here is that Becky nearly got killed by the parents you sent her back to!"

"Well, I need to take the child into custody."

"She's not going anywhere with you!" Will shouted, she nearly poked the other woman's eye out with her finger.

"Get your finger out of my face! I was doing my job! If the parents assaulted the minor I can't be held responsible for that!" Will was about to start shouting again when Taranee silenced her with a touch.

"Actually, you can. You see I had lieutenant Lair do some digging. Seems you deposited a large sum of money into your bank account this morning. Ten thousand dollars to be exact." Mrs. Bower bit her lip in fear.

"They bought you off! I should cream you right now!" The only thing holding her back was Taranee's restraining hand.

"I, I don't know what you're talking about." Mrs. Bower stammered.

"Oh, I think you do, and I'm wondering how many other kids you've sent back to bad situations in exchange for a payoff." Taranee stared the corrupt social worker in the face. "Several people would like to have a word with you."

"You're under arrest, you have the right to remain silent." Tom cuffed the woman and led her off, reading her rights to her.

"So what happens to me now?" Asked Becky. Will and Taranee looked at each other, unsure how to answer.

"Well, like I said you'll stay in the hospital for a couple of days. After that…"

"You'll come stay with me for awhile." Will said suddenly.

"Really?" Becky said hopefully.

"I think I we can set up with Child Services. At least until they find a foster home for you." Taranee said. Both Will and Becky got huge grins on their faces. Becky knew it would only be a temporary situation, but if she could stay with Will, even for a short time, she would take it.

**And it is here that I end the fourth chapter. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but rest assured I'm hard at work on it already. I hope to see everyone back here agian at that time. So until then this is shocklance signing out.**


	5. Chapter 5 Girl's Day Out

**Hey folks! I'm back and I've brought chapter five with me! I managed to get this chapter done a little faster then I thought I would. A thank you goes out to Guardian's Light for your review. And agian thank you to those who continue to review me. (Notice how I keep mentioning reviews, hint hint) So I think I'll stop talking now and let you get on with the latest chapter. Enjoy! (Reviews, please) **

Chapter 5: Girl's Day Out

Two days had passed since Becky had nearly been killed by her parents. Taranee had hospitalized her in case she had suffered internal injuries from the beatings, but all the examinations showed that nothing serious was wrong. The cut on her lip had scabbed over and the bruises were fading quickly. During her stay Will had barely left her side. In the morning Becky would wake up to find Will sound asleep in the same chair she had been sitting in the previous night when she went to sleep. Becky found it comforting to know Will was there watching over her. In that time she had also meet her new case worker, a young woman named Ms. Holden. To Becky's delight she had agreed to let her to stay with Will until she could find a opening with a foster family. She couldn't wait to get out of the hospital and go back to Will's. But in the back of her mind there was a voice she was trying hard to ignore. It kept trying to remind her that the stay with Will was only temporary. She didn't want to listen, but the feeling of dread she had of leaving Will was growing stronger.

"So, you ready to get out of here?" Will asked the afternoon of Becky's third day in the hospital.

"Really?!" Becky said happily.

"You bet." Said Taranee from behind Will. "Everything checks out, so there's no more reason to keep you here." Becky jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom to change out of her hospital gown. Will had to admit it was good to see her happy, unfortunately she knew it would be short lived. Over the last couple of days Will had seen it happen a couple of times. She would be able to get the girl into a good mood, but after a short while she would slip back into the sad, lonely persona that she had when they had first meet. She didn't know what to do about it.

"Ready to go." Becky said when she emerged from the bathroom. Will frowned at the rags she was wearing. Unfortunately there hadn't been a single piece of decent clothing for her in her parent's house. Becky explained they had hardly ever gotten her new clothes. Just one more crime to lay at their feet.

"Oh, I have some news on your parents Becky, if you want to know." Said Taranee cautiously.

"Umm, sure, I guess." The girl said quietly.

"Well, they're cutting a deal with the District Attorney."

"What!? The D.A. is actually going to let them get away with a lighter sentence!?" Will cried out.

"Trust me, it's no walk in the park. They're getting thirty years each, it's only five years off the top of the maximum they could of gotten at trial." Taranee turned and addressed Becky. "You'll never have to worry about seeing them again."

"What about Bower?" Will asked, referring to the corrupt social worker that had sent Becky back to her abusive parents.

"She's still denying that she's done anything wrong, despite the evidence against her. She'll be going to trail, which she'll lose." Will nodded her approval. She looked at Becky and again frowned at her shabby garments. "I've already checked you out Becky, so you two are free to go. Oh! I almost forgot! Everyone is getting together at the Silver Dragon tonight!"

"Really!? That's great! It's been too long since we've done that! Even better they can all meet Becky!" Will shouted happily. Becky however was less then enthused. She wasn't all that sure she wanted to meet Will's friends, what if they didn't like her?

"I know!" Said Taranee. "I've already told the others about Becky and they're looking forward to meeting her."

"Well, we'll see you later then! I can't wait!" Will led Becky from the hospital out to her car. Instead of heading for her apartment Will had another destination in mind. "We're heading to the mall." Will explained when Becky asked. "We need to get you some new clothes."

"You don't have to do that Will. My old clothes are fine." Will didn't seem to hear her however. She kept going on about her rapidly forming plan for the day.

"I know just the store to take you to. All the girls your age go there. After that there's a hair salon in the mall we can go to as well."

"Will, this is too much, really." But again Will didn't listen to Becky's protests. After a long stretch of silence Becky decided to try and get an answer to some of the questions that had been plaguing her about Will. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, fire away." Will said.

"Well, the morning after you found me I took a peek in your room and I saw these huge knives sitting on your dresser, what's the deal with that?"

"Oh, you saw those?" Will said with a laugh. She stopped when a horrible thought crossed her mind. "Oh Becky! I'd never use those on you! I'd never hurt you!"

"Whoa, take it easy. I know that. I was just curious why you had them. They just seem so out of place among all your stuffed frogs is all." Will sighed in relief and laughed again.

"Right, of course, sorry. I can see what you mean, I do have a bit of an obsession with them, hunh?"

"Just a little." Becky said in response.

"Well, to answer your question they were a present from a guy I've known for a long time." Will explained.

"Boyfriend?" Becky asked.

"What? Caleb!? Heck no, he's Cornelia's husband. He should be at the party tonight in fact. He's more like a big brother, and he gave me the knives as protection, even taught me how to fight with them." The memory of that event came to mind. At first she didn't want them, but Caleb had insisted, saying he wanted to make sure she always had a way to defend herself. She had finally given in and let him teach her. She later learned he had done the same thing with the others, though with a different type of weapon for each of them.

"Wow, sounds like a neat guy." Becky was impressed she would know someone like that.

"He is, trust me. I can't wait for you to meet him and the rest of my friends." Will turned her head and smiled at Becky. "They are absolutely going to love you." Becky sunk down in her seat., convinced Will was wrong about that.

"I was also wondering why you live alone in a two bedroom apartment." Becky said trying to change the subject.

"Well, before she married Nigel, Taranee used to be my roommate. I didn't really feel like moving so I've just stayed put. Besides, the rent isn't bad and I have the extra storage space if I ever need it." Becky just nodded.

"Don't you have a job? I wouldn't want you to get in trouble because of me." Becky had just realized Will hadn't left to go to work since meeting her.

"Ugh, don't get me started. They've got me and my team in a holding pattern while the design people are changing half the backgrounds, which means we've got to go back and rewrite half the code now." Seeing the confused look on Becky's face Will stopped her rant to explain. "Sorry. I'm a computer programmer for a video game company. The game we're working on is on hiatus while they retool some of it. That storm also held things up, so we got a little extra vacation. You know, that's how I found you. I was dropping off some important documents when you crawled into my car. Anyways, to answer your question, no, I'm not going to get in trouble."

"That's good. You know, I've never played a video game before. I've seen them in store windows, but play them? Never." Said Becky.

"Well, I think we can remedy that. If we have time we'll hit the arcade in the mall." At the mall's parking lot Becky became apprehensive when she noticed several people staring at her. In her mind it seemed as if the eyes of the world were upon her.

"Will, I think this was a mistake. Do you see how everyone's looking at me? They'll never let me in."

"Don't be such a pessimist, if anyone says anything I'll give them a piece of my mind." Becky didn't seemed convinced. Will could tell the girl had self esteem problems, it was only natural after what she had been through. That was part of the reason she had brought them there. While she knew she couldn't fix Becky's problems overnight she figured some new clothes and some positive reinforcement would go a long way towards making Becky feel better about herself.

"There sure a lot of people here." Becky said when they walked through the main doors. She was trying to look at six things at once. "Is it always like this?"

"Well, it's only a week and a half to Christmas. People are trying to finish their shopping, the storm held everything up, so everyone's scrambling to get done."

"Is it really that close? I didn't realize it. Of course Christmas has never been a big deal to me. If I was lucky my parents would take the day off from hitting me." Will didn't speak, instead she put her arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug. Becky blushed, but she also got a sense of comfort from the gesture.

"There it is." Will said pointing towards a large clothing store. Becky noticed several teenaged girls inside looking at the clothes.

"I'm not sure I can go in there. I mean, look at me." Becky said, she absently pulled at her worn out clothes.

"Yes you can, c'mon." Will took Becky by the hand and pulled her inside. "Alright, I'm no fashion expert like Cornelia, so go ahead and find some stuff you like." Becky began cautiously wandering the racks, unsure of what to get. It took her awhile because she was trying to avoid the other girls in the store. After going through the store she came back to Will with a couple of pairs of jeans and two tee-shirts. "What? That's all?" Will said in disbelief. "Don't tell me that's all you want?"

"Well, I, uh…" Sputtered Becky. Will giggled, took her by the hand again and led her through the displays. Soon Becky was loaded down with pants, skirts, shirts, socks, a winter coat, and to her great embarrassment, underwear. Becky thought she was going to die on the spot when Will called a sales clerk to help measure her for a bra. Lastly they picked out a new pair of sneakers. When they were checking out Becky couldn't believe that Will was paying almost five hundred dollars for her new wardrobe.

"Will! This is way to much! I can't ask you to spend that much on me!" She blurted out.

"It's nothing. I make this much in like a day." Will said dismissively. After paying Will insisted Becky change into some of her new clothes. When she did she had to admit it was nice to be wearing something that hadn't been pulled out of a dumpster by her parents. "Now, lets take care of that bird's nest you call your hair." Will took Becky to the hair salon in the mall, which wasn't very busy so they didn't have to wait long.

"Okay, what can I do for you?" The stylist asked in a friendly tone as she put a smock around Becky's shoulders.

"Well, I'm not really sure." Becky's mom had always just lopped some of her hair off with a dull pair of scissors when it had gotten too long. The stylist studied Becky's hair before she made a suggestion.

"How about we cut it to shoulder length, and if you like I can put some highlights in as well."

"Okay, that sounds good." With Becky's agreement the stylist went to work. First she washed Becky's hair, then after drying it off she began to trim it. Becky found the whole thing enjoyable and lost herself in the experience. After she finished cutting the stylist added some subtle blonde streaks to Becky's hair. When she was finished, she removed the smock and turned Becky around so she could look at herself in the mirror. She stared in opened mouth astonishment at her reflection. It was if she had become a totally different person. She hardly recognized herself. For the first time ever her hair looked good.

"You look great Becky!" Will said happily when she saw the girl's new hairdo.

"Thanks." Becky said, her cheeks going red.

"Well, we got done faster then I expected we would. You want to hit the arcade?"

"Sure, that sounds like fun." The arcade was nothing like she had ever seen before. The lights were dim, but she had no problem seeing. The glare from the screens of dozens of machines more then made up for lack of overhead lighting. The air was filled with electronic noise, making it hard to hear anything. While Will went to get change Becky took a look around. The place was relatively empty, hardly anyone else was there. A frustrated cry of disappointment from a far corner caught her notice. Looking to the source of the out burst she saw a girl her own age stepping away from one of the games. She brushed her wavy blonde hair out of her eyes as she began to walk off. She stopped when she saw Becky. The girl locked eyes with her. To Becky they seemed like a pair of deep blue pools she could stare into forever. Becky felt a knot forming in her stomach, she had never interacted with another person her own age before, not knowing what else to do she waved at the girl. A smile crossed the other girl's freckled face and she waved back before she left. Becky watched her walk away with a strange sense of regret. Becky found herself in awe of the other girl, who was in her opinion very pretty. Becky wished she could have those kind of looks, but she knew she was nothing special in that department. There was something else as well, but before she could dwell further on what she was feeling Will returned.

"Hey! There you are!" Will said from behind Becky, making her jump. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. So what do you want to play first?" Becky looked around quickly and chose a promising looking race game. She quickly regretted her choice however. She couldn't get the hang of steering her virtual car and kept crashing it. After the game was over she decided to try a nearby light gun game. Since it was a two player game Will decided to join in. Becky liked this one better, while she wasn't a crack shot she wasn't half bad either. The two of them did fine until the enemies became too fast and too many for them to handle and they lost. Will said had time for one more game before they had to leave. Looking around she spied a huge game that had what looked like a stage attached to it.

"What's that?" She asked pointing at the machine.

"That? It's called Dance Master. You use the arrow keys on the stage in time with the images on the screen." Will handed Becky a couple of quarters and the girl went to try it out. "This one's all yours. I've never been very good at these types of games."

Becky put the money in and chose the easy setting. She scrolled through the available tunes, most of which had a Japanese techno flair to them. She made her selection and the game told her to get ready. The music began scrolling across the top of the screen. At first Becky was only hitting half of her targets. But she quickly got better. She found the game to be incredibly fun, an experience she had rarely experienced in her life. As she moved along she lost herself in the music, the game cheering her performance. When the song was over the game tallied her points and gave her a rating of 'superstar'.

"Way to go Becky! That was awesome!" Will said.

"That was so much fun! I can't believe I did so good!" Becky said excitedly.

"You know, you should smile more often. It suits you." Becky turned away as she blushed furiously. "Let's go."

"So where are we going?" Becky asked once they were back in the car. Will was dismayed to see that the smile had faded from the girl's face.

"A restaurant called the Silver Dragon." Said Will.

"Oh, I know that place. I, uh, sorta ate out of the dumpster there for a couple of days after I ran away." Becky said in embarrassment. Will gave he a look of sympathy "But I stopped going there. I was digging around looking for something to eat when I heard something moving around in the trash. Next thing I know there's this huge pair of yellow eyes staring at me. I got freaked out and never went back."

"Well, uh, Hay Lin did say something about having problems with raccoons. Maybe that's what you saw?" Becky detected a hint of nervousness in Will's voice, but she just shrugged it off, not knowing what she would be nervous about.

"I'm not sure. It seemed bigger then a raccoon. Who's Hay Lin anyways?" She asked.

"One of my best friends. Her family owns the restaurant. Let me warn you though, Hay Lin can be a little eccentric."

"How big is this get together anyways?" Becky asked. She wasn't sure she wanted to deal with a huge crowd.

"Not real big. Just my best friends that I've had since I was your age." Will said fondly. "I met most of them not long after my mom and I moved to Heatherfield. We've been tight ever since."

"Must be nice to have people that are that close to you." Becky said without thinking. "I've never had that. Just my parents." Will reached out and took Becky's hand in her own.

"You're wrong about that. You've got me Becky, and I know that in time there will be more. You're not alone anymore." Becky desperately wanted to believe her. She just wasn't sure if she could.

**And that brings chapter five to a close. I know that this was a more laybacked chapter then the previous ones, but it has it's purpose, I assure you. Chapter six is under way and I'll have it up as soon as it's ready. So until next time, this is shocklance signing out.**


	6. Chapter 6 Family

**Hello everyone! Chapter six has arrived! First I want to welcome and say thank you to Majesty of Dark Water as my newest reviewer. I did my best to get this chapter done as quickly as possible. I hope you enjoy what I've done here. As always I ask for reviews. Now, let's get this chapter started!**

Chapter 6: Family

Will thought she was going to have to drag Becky out of the car when they arrived at the Silver Dragon. She had become distant, not saying anything. She had just stared out the window for the whole ride. Will knew her friends were going to love Becky just as much as she did, but no matter what she said the girl didn't seem convinced. Will hoped Becky was just being shy and would get over it once she met everyone.

"We're here." Will announced once she parked her car. Becky got out and followed Will inside, though rather reluctantly.

"Will! Becky!" Taranee called from the back of the dining room. She was standing against the wall next to the entrance to the kitchen. "I was wondering when you two would get here!"

"Traffic was kind of thick around the mall." Will explained. "The others here yet?"

"Not yet. Hay Lin is in the kitchen. Irma just called, said she would be here soon. And Cornelia, Caleb and Elyon are on the way." Taranee took a quick look at Becky. "I like your new clothes and hairdo, it suits you."

"Thanks." Will was pleased to see Becky was coming out of her shell a little. She was a least comfortable around Taranee.

"You should of seen her at the arcade T. She kicks ass at Dance Master." Will said. She wanted to keep Becky talking.

"It was nothing." The girl said in embarrassment.

"Don't be modest. That game is hard, even on the easy setting. I'm impressed." Becky's cheeks went even redder then they already were. A slight smile broke out across her face.

"Knock, knock! Anyone home!?" The call came from a woman standing in the front doorway. The first thing Becky noticed was that the newcomer seemed to have a mischievous grin glued to her face. Her hair was brown like Becky's, the only difference being it was curly. The woman strode into the restaurant and proceeded to hug Will and Taranee in turn.

"Irma! How's it going!?" Will asked happily.

"Ah, you know. Can't complain." Irma said with a shrug. "So this the kid you saved?" She said when she spotted Becky.

"Yep. Becky, meet Irma Lair, station manager for Heatherfield's top radio station." Irma gave Will a 'ah shucks' look and shook the girl's hand.

"Nice to meet you." Irma said.

"Same here." Becky said. She had to admit that so far things were going alright. She already knew Taranee, and Irma seemed like a nice person.

"I thought I heard voices out here!" Said someone from behind them. From the sound of the voice the person was extremely excited.

"Hay Lin!" Irma yelled as she whirled around to hug her friend, a Chinese woman with two long pigtails. "How's Yan Lin?"

"Oh, you know grandma. She's as feisty as ever. She's out at a movie right now, but she said she'd stop and say hi later."

"That's good." Said Will. "Is Eric here?"

"Oh hey Will!" Said Hay Lin who seemed like she had just noticed the redhead's presence. "Unfortunately no. His flight got cancelled because of the weather. He won't be home until tomorrow, but he wanted me to tell everyone he said hello."

"Becky, this is Hay Lin…" Before Will could finish her introduction Hay Lin squealed in delight and ran up to Becky, getting in her face.

"Oh I'm so happy to meet you!" She said gleefully. "I've heard all about you from Taranee! She said those jerk parents of yours didn't feed you!" Hay Lin got an angry look on her face with the last sentence. "You must be really hungry! Do you like Chinese food!?"

"Well, uh, yeah. Chinese is fine. I'm not what you call a picky eater." Becky now understood why Will had called her friend eccentric, she was obviously one of those happy go lucky people that were almost always in a good mood.

"Great! I know you'll love our food! I made a ton so don't be shy about eating all you want!"

"Take it easy Hay Lin! You're going to scare the poor girl!" Said a voice from behind the group.

"Cornelia!" Taranee cried out happily. Becky took in a tall, beautiful woman with golden blonde hair that went down below her knees. Behind her stood a guy with bulging muscles and unruly brown hair. She figured that to be Caleb, the guy Will was talking about in the car. There was another woman there as well. She was shorter then Cornelia and had blonde hair as well, which was done up in a pair of braids that had a metal ring woven into each end. Becky couldn't put her finger on it, but for some reason she got a feeling that the shorter woman was someone in a position of authority.

"Caleb! Elyon! It's been way to long!" Said Will. She stepped to the side when she noticed Becky was trying to hide behind her. "I'd like you three to meet Becky. Becky, this is Cornelia, her husband Caleb and Elyon."

"Hi." Becky said meekly. She was wondering how many more people she was going to be forced to meet. This was becoming to much for her.

"She's a shy one, isn't she?" asked Elyon.

"Yeah, I had to drag her back into the clothes racks at the mall. She picked barely anything out for herself." Will said with a shrug.

"Wait, you went shopping without me!?" Said Cornelia in mock indignation. "Will, how could you!?" Everyone burst into laughter and they all started poking fun at one another. Becky took the opportunity to move off and gather her thoughts. She stood in a corner and let Will hangout with her friends. She had to admit she might have been wrong about them. She felt so confused right then it was hard to make sense of anything.

"Not sure what to make of all of them, huh?" Becky whipped her head around in shock. Caleb was standing right next to her. For the life of her she couldn't figure out how he had gotten so close to her without her noticing.

"Uh, yeah, something like that. I guess I just felt a little overwhelmed." Becky said shyly.

"I can understand that. When we were younger I felt that way sometimes myself. I couldn't figure them out, they were so… different I guess. I found them to be so girly. But in time I grew used to it and learned that there was more to them then I had thought at first. I fell in love with Cornelia and married her, and the rest I now see as my little sisters." Caleb stared into space as he spoke. He had a far away look in his eyes, as if he was gazing into the past.

"So, how long have you known them?" Becky asked.

"A long time now. They were your age when I first meet them. I got to tell you they annoyed me, but that changed. You're lucky to have been taken in by them. You couldn't ask for a better group of people to watch out for you."

"I don't get what you're saying." Becky said with a shake of her head.

"They like you Becky. I know them well enough I can tell just by looking at them. You've made seven friends for life, me included. So get used to the craziness, because you're one of us now." Becky just stood there with her mouth hanging open, totally unable to form a response.

"Oh Caleb! That's so sweet! I didn't know you had it in you!" Hay Lin said from across the room.

"How'd she hear us!?" Asked Becky.

"Oh, Hay Lin has always had really good hearing. You got to be careful what you say around her." Caleb said nonchalantly.

"Enough chit-chat!" Declared Irma. "I'm starving, let's eat!"

"When are you never hungry?" Said hay Lin jokingly. "I swear, I don't know how you keep your figure! One of these days your metabolism is going to fail you and you're going to get bigger then a whale!" Everyone laughed at the jab, including Irma. Hay Lin lead the way to a private dining room that held a large table laden with all kinds of delicious looking Chinese dishes. The air was heavy with the scent of exotic spices. Everyone congratulated Hay Lin on a job well done.

"Wow Hay Lin. You out did yourself. There must be enough food here to feed an army." Irma said as they sat done to eat.

"Good thing too." Said Cornelia with a smile. "Because I'm eating for two." There was a stunned silence as everyone let the news sink in.

"You mean you're pregnant!?" Asked Will after the shock had worn off.

"Five weeks now." Said Cornelia.

"AHHHHH!" Screamed Hay Lin happily. "That's great! Congratulations you two!'" She leaned down and put her face close to Cornelia's stomach. "Hi baby! I'm your auntie Hay Lin! I can't wait to meet you!" Becky couldn't help but stare at Hay Lin's antics, but she accepted it when the others seemed to take it as normal behavior for her.

"Don't worry, she's not crazy. Hay Lin just gets a little over excited about things sometimes. It's perfectly normal for her to act like that." Will said into Becky's ear.

"Have you picked out names yet?" Asked Taranee.

"No, we haven't gotten that far yet. We only just found out recently." Said Cornelia. "Though we do know we want you guys to be aunts. Well, except for you Elyon."

"What?" Said a confused and hurt Elyon.

"Don't get us wrong." Said Caleb. "It's not that we don't want you to be part of our child's life. We were just hoping your maj…"

"We were hoping you'd be the God mother." Cornelia said quickly.

"I'd be honored! Cornelia! Caleb! Thank you so much!" Before Cornelia had interrupted her husband Becky was sure he was going to say 'your majesty'. But that didn't make any sense. Elyon couldn't be royalty, she looked too normal. Becky shrugged it off, thinking she must have been hearing things, and went back to eating. About halfway through the meal a older Chinese woman walked into the room. Everyone greeted her warmly and she was introduced to Becky as Yan Lin, Hay Lin's grandmother. After saying hello to Becky Yan Lin said she was going to her room to relax and left. But before she did she cast a sideways glance at he girl, it was as if she sensed something. After awhile the feast had been demolished and everyone was sitting back with overstuffed bellies. The conversation became more relaxed and Becky found herself becoming drowsy. She wandered over to a nearby couch and drifted off to sleep.

"We've got to be more careful around her." Taranee said when she noticed the girl was out cold. "I don't relish the idea of trying to explain things to her. I had a hard enough time telling Nigel the truth."

"You're right Taranee." Said Will. "We got lucky tonight. But she's a smart girl. She'll catch on if don't watch what we say." She looked at both Caleb and Hay Lin while she spoke.

"You know, she seems really shy." Said Cornelia.

"She is." Said Will "But there's more to it then that. She's got some real problems with her self esteem. Which isn't surprising, from what she's told me her parents put her down all the time."

"I can't believe her parents actually beat her." Said Elyon sadly.

"Believe it. You didn't see her x-rays. From what she told us Becky was getting hit almost everyday since she was about five." Taranee said. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Damn those bastards."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you cream those two." Said Caleb. "Back home that's one thing we never tolerated. If someone hurt a child they got what was coming to them, period."

"Poor girl." Said Irma. "I can't imagine what it must have been like for her. But hey, she's got us now."

"Yeah." Said Hay Lin. "There's no way any of us are going to let anything like that happen to her again!"

"Will definitely won't. I can tell how attached to her you are." Said Elyon.

"She grows on you, that's for sure." Will said. She looked over at the sleeping girl and silently wished her pleasant dreams.

The next few days were some of the best Becky had ever experienced. Will had to go back to work but she wasn't without company. It wasn't uncommon for Taranee or one of the others to stop by to check on her. When she was alone she'd watch television or play on Will's computer. She had also taken to reading some of Will's old books. In the evenings they would watch scary movies while eating popcorn, play board games and just enjoy each others company. Then on Saturday evening, the day before Christmas eve, Taranee showed up at Will's door.

"Hey T, what brings you here?" Asked Will.

"Becky." She said solemnly. The girl looked up at the mention of her name. She saw the look on Taranee's face and instantly knew what was wrong. She had forgotten that her stay with Will was only temporary. Tears filled her eyes she ran off crying.

"Taranee, no." Pleaded Will.

"I'm sorry, but we knew this was coming. Ms. Holden called me a little while ago. She's found a placement for Becky after the holidays are over."

"No…" Moaned Will. She looked towards her room, which was where Becky had gone. She stood there silently. She had gotten used to the girls presence and didn't want her to go. After several minutes thought she made the most important decision of her life. "I can't let her go Taranee."

"Will, you don't have a choice." Taranee said sympathetically.

"I want to keep her Taranee. She belongs here." Will said firmly.

"Will… Wait, what?! Are you saying what I think you're saying?!"

"I want to adopt her." Will said. "And before you ask, I'm sure."

"It isn't that easy Will. There's all kinds of red tape involved in something like this. Plus you've got to show she has a living space. The couch isn't going to cut it." Taranee looked into her friends eyes and saw not only the determination, but the love that was there as well. "But that's not going to stop you is it?"

"You know it won't." Will said.

"I'll make some calls, see if I can smooth the process. It'll help that you're the one that rescued her."

"I'm going to get in touch with everyone else. We're going to need their help to pull this off." Excitement began to creep into Will's voice.

"Should we tell Becky?"

"No. I want to surprise her. I want her first real Christmas to be as special as possible."

"You're a good person Will. Becky is lucky to have found you."

Becky was sprawled out on Will's bed crying her heart out. In the back of her mind she had known this was coming despite how much she wished it wouldn't. For the first time in her life she felt like she actually belonged somewhere, that she was wanted. And now that was being taken away from that. How much time did she have left? How much longer before she had to say goodbye?

"Becky?" Will called from the doorway. She walked over and sat down on the end of the bed and gently stroked the girl's hair. "I know you're upset. But I promise it's going to be alright. Why don't you sleep in here tonight. I'll take the couch. See you in the morning." As Will left Becky wanted to call out to her, to tell her how she felt, but she couldn't. Becky cried herself to sleep that night, dreading the following day.

Breakfast the next morning was very quiet. Neither Will or Becky had much to say. Will said she was going to drop Becky off with Hay Lin for the day. When Becky asked why Will said it was because she had some things to take care of. Becky took that to mean Will was trying to separate herself from her in a attempt to ease the pain. It made Becky sad to think that, but she made herself believe it was for the best. When they arrived at the Silver Dragon Becky asked if there was someplace she could be alone. Hay Lin took Becky upstairs to her old bedroom and left the girl alone.

Becky didn't know how much time passed while she was there, but she guessed it had to of been hours. Hay Lin came and got her, saying Will had called and asked her to take Becky back to the apartment. Becky just nodded and followed Hay Lin out of the restaurant. Becky didn't want to go through the goodbyes that were coming, but she didn't see a way out of it. The ride over seemed much too short in her opinion. She steeled herself to say farewell outside the building. The defenses she had built shattered when she entered Will's home. To her great surprise everyone from the party inside waiting. They all had huge smiles on their faces.

"Why are you all here?" Asked a very confused Becky. Nobody answered, instead Will walked up and knelt in front of her. Her face was nervous, as if she was afraid of something.

"Becky, I have something I want to show you. After that there's something I want to ask you and you'll have to make a big decision, okay?" Will took Becky by the hand and led her to the spare bedroom which had it's door shut. "Go ahead and look inside."

Becky hesitantly complied, unsure of what she was going to see. She pushed the door open and gasped at what she saw. The room had been completely transformed. It was no longer empty. It now had a large bed in one corner with a dresser next to it. On top of the dresser was a CD player. In another corner was a desk with a computer on top. Across from the foot of the bed a television with a DVD player and video game system had been set up as well. Becky stepped inside, unable to make sense of this new development.

"Merry Christmas Becky." Will said.

"This is for me?" Becky asked quietly.

"Well it sure isn't for any of us." Said Irma who was quickly silenced by Hay Lin.

"Yes, it's for you." Said Will. "A room of your own, if you want it. I want to give you a home Becky, here with me. I love you, and want to make you my daughter." Becky gasped at what she heard, unable to believe her own ears. "You wouldn't just be getting me either. You've got six people here who want to be your aunts and uncle. What do say, will you let me adopt you?" There was a trace of fear in Will's question, as if she thought Becky might say no. But of course there was no chance of that. Becky ran up to Will and threw her arms around her. She began to cry huge tears of joy as Will hugged her back.

"Of course you can mom!" Becky cried out in joy.

"Welcome home sweetie!" Said Will who was crying now as well.

"Party time!" Shouted Hay Lin, causing a fit of laughter.

"What did I tell you kiddo?" Said Caleb. "Welcome to one wacky family."

**And that's a wrap! As always I hope you enjoyed what I've written. I'm alredy working on the next chapter. I won't give much away about it except ot say I'll be introducing some new friends and a new foe. Now that I've dangled that carrot in front of your faces I think I'll leave things to your imaginations and take my leave. Until next time, this is shocklance, signing out.**


	7. Chapter 7 School Daze

**Yeah! I was loading this and saw that it's been one month since I first posted this story! I can't believe that it's been that long already! Now then, a welcome and thank you to LordofDarkness2099 and Guardinofthemoon as the newest reviewers. I want to say thank you to all my reviewers and readers. The support and kind words you've shared with me means the world to me, it really does. I can only hope that as this story progresses you'll continue to enjoy the tale I'm spinning.**

**Alright, enough of the mushy stuff. Just one final note, if anyone cares I've recently revamped my profile page. I was looking at it and came to the conclusion that it didn't really say that much about me. So I decided to make it a little more personal. In you were to meet me you'd find me to be a very shy person. I guess the cahnge to the page is just one way for me to try and overcome that. Ah, you guys don't want to hear me ramble on about this sort of thing, sorry. As always, please review the chapter. And here we go!**

Chapter 7: School Daze

Thanks to the efforts of Taranee and Ms. Holden, Will's adoption of Becky was completed before the beginning of the new year. The entire gang was present for the court proceedings. The air was thick with anticipation as all the necessary legalities were observed. Once the judge signed the papers and said that everything was final the courtroom exploded in happy cheers from those gathered. Irma and Cornelia had to restrain Hay Lin who started jumping around the courtroom.

"Congratulations to you both." Said the judge. "I've read the case file on you young lady. From the looks of things you have several people here who care about you a great deal. I'm happy that things turned out like this. It pleased me to no end to be able to do this for you."

"Thank you. You don't know what this means to me." Becky said as she hugged Will.

"Oh, I think I do." The judge said.

"Would you mind taking our picture, your honor?" Will asked.

"Gladly." Everyone gathered around Will and Becky. The judge centered everyone in the frame of the camera and snapped the photo. The next day the picture was framed and hung on the wall at home, taking it's place among the growing collection of family photos that Will and Becky had made. A few days after she became Will's daughter Becky was getting prepared for her first day of school. Something she wasn't sure she was ready for.

"I'm not sure about this." Becky said as she pulled her coat on. "I've never been to school before. What if the other kids don't like me? It's not like I know anyone there."

"Just be yourself, and I know you'll make plenty of friends." Said Will.

"Who'd want to be friends with me? I'm a nobody." Becky said sadly. Will went to her daughter and hugged her.

"No you're not. Give things a chance, you can't give up before you even try. C'mon, we need to get going." Becky nodded, picked up her backpack and followed Will to the car. Neither of them said much on the ride over. "Welcome to Sheffield academy. I know you're going to love it here, this is a great school." Will said when they arrived. Like many places in Heatherfield Becky had only the school from afar. She had ridden by it before in her parents car. She had always wondered what it would be like to go to a regular school and now she was about to find out. Now that the moment had arrived Becky wasn't sure she was ready. Already students were arriving for classes on the first day back from winter break. Friends called out to one another, asking how their vacation was. Becky tried to blend into the background, hoping not to be noticed. All the other kids made her nervous. She was afraid the other students would never accept her, especially if they learned that she had had lived on the streets, however briefly that had been.

"God, this place hasn't changed much. I haven't been here in so long." Will said as she led the way to the school's main office. Becky could see the nostalgia in Will's eyes.

"Will Vandom? Is that really you?" Said a large older woman when they entered.

"Professor Knickerbocker, it's good to see you." Said Will. "How are you doing?"

"I can't complain. So, is this our new student?"

"Yes, this is my newly adopted daughter, Becky Vandom." Will said proudly. Becky couldn't help but blush. She still got a warm feeling inside anytime Will introduced her as her daughter.

"Welcome to Sheffield Becky. Please, step into my office and we'll get the paperwork filled out and make up a class schedule for you." The forms took most of the morning to complete, and it was lunch time when they finally finished. Will took Becky out to lunch, saying she should wait until tomorrow to risk eating the cafeteria food. After lunch they got Becky's class schedule and Will said goodbye. Professor Knickerbocker took Becky to her classroom, which happened to be history.

"Class, I'd like you all to meet Becky Vandom. The newest student here at Sheffield. Let's make her feel welcome." There was some polite clapping from some of the students, otherwise her presence seemed to have gone unnoticed. Becky looked down, pretending to be checking her shoelaces.

"Hello Becky." Said the teacher. "I'm Mr. Eddings. Welcome to my class. Let's see, why don't you take a seat next to Amy while I go get you a textbook. I'll be back in a minute class." Once the teacher left the students started chatting with each other. No one seemed interested in Becky, so she silently shuffled her way through the desks in an attempt to find her seat.

"Hey! Over here!" Becky looked up and saw a girl with orange-red hair and bright blue eyes waving at her. Becky made her way over, finding a empty chair next to the girl. "How's it going?" The girl asked in a pleasant voice.

"Okay, I guess." Said Becky as she sat down.

"I'm Amy Evans. Nice to meet you Becky." Amy held out her hand and Becky hesitantly shook it.

"Same here." She said.

"Well welcome to history hell. Mr. Eddings is a nice guy, but he's boring as they get. When he starts lecturing his voice goes all monotone. It's hypnotic, it's not uncommon for someone to fall asleep." Becky couldn't help but laugh. Just the way Amy said it made it impossible not to.

"That's funny." Becky said.

"Wait till you experience it. It's hilarious when some one passes out and bangs their head on their desk. Sometimes they even fall out of their chairs! Thing is Mr. Eddings never says anything about it! I think it's because he gets a laugh out of it as well. I swear I've caught him smiling a couple of times it's happened." Again Becky started laughing. "So, did you just move to Heatherfield?"

"Uh, no actually. I've lived here for a couple of years now." Becky was nervous now, she wasn't sure how to explain her past or how Amy would react to it.

"Well that doesn't make much sense." Said a girl sitting in front of Becky. She had long black hair and a smug look on her face. "How can you of lived here for two years and not gone to school with us before now?"

"Leave her alone Stacey!' Amy said in an annoyed tone. "We weren't talking to you!" Stacey ignored her and looked Becky over. She seemed unimpressed at what she saw. She scrunched her nose up and gave Becky a cold stare.

"Well, wherever you do your shopping it's not anyplace good. Where you'd get your clothes? The bargain bin at Wal-Mart?" Becky sunk down in her chair, everyone was looking at her now. "You seem familiar, but I can't quite place you…" Before Stacey could go on Mr. Eddings returned.

"Here you go." He said as he handed Becky her textbook. "Alright everyone, we're going to start on World War One today. So if you'll turn to page one forty-six we'll begin."

"That's Stacey Gelding." Amy whispered to Becky once the teacher turned his back to the class. "She's full of herself because her family is loaded. It doesn't help that she's a cheerleader and part of the popular crowd. But she's nothing but a big bag of hot air, so don't pay attention anything she says." Becky nodded, but in her mind she couldn't help but worry, especially since Stacey kept turning back to stare at her. Becky soon learned that Amy wasn't kidding about Mr. Eddings. He made bloody battles sound as exciting as walking to the mailbox. She jumped when the bell rang, breaking her out of the trance she had gone into.

"Alright class, for homework I'd like you to read chapter eight and do the test at the end." Said Mr. Eddings. "We're having a pep rally this afternoon, so last period is cancelled." This brought a cheer from the class. "I need everyone to head over to the gym right now." The students pushed their way out of the room while Mr. Eddings tried to keep some semblance of order. Becky was still in her seat after everyone else had gone. She was having some trouble getting her book into her backpack. Once she had accomplished her task she got up and found Amy standing there with a smile on her face.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah." Becky answered.

"Can I see your class schedule?" Becky nodded and pulled it out of her coat pocket. She handed it over to Amy. "Oh cool! We've got most of the same classes together!"

"Really?" Said Becky as she took the page back. She kind of liked the sound of that. But before she went anywhere she had to ask Amy something. "So, why did you wait for me?"

"Hunh? What's wrong? Don't you like me?" Amy had a distressed look on her face.

"It's not like that!" Becky said quickly. "I do like you! I was just curious!"

"Good!' Amy said happily. "Because I like you too!"

"But you hardly know me."

"So? I can tell that you're a good person. Besides, you look like you could use a friend. C'mon, we want to get good seats! They always put on good shows at these things and it's better up close!" Amy started to run off and Becky hurried to catch up. By shear luck they managed to beat most of the crowd and got a seat on the third row of bleachers. "Whew, we got lucky." Amy was out of breath from the mad dash to the gym. "I thought we were going to get stuck in the nosebleed section."

"Hey, Amy. Thanks." Becky said sheepishly.

"For what?"

"For wanting to be my friend. I, uh… It's just …" Becky couldn't get the words out. Amy seemed to understand what she was trying to say and put her arm around Becky's shoulders.

"Hey, don't mention it." She said gently. "Oh, after the rally I'm meeting up with some friends of mine. I know you'll like them. We're going out for burgers, you want to come along?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. Oh, but I should call home first and make sure it's okay with my mom." Said Becky.

"That's fine. I've got a cell phone if you need it."

"I've got my own, thanks."

"Great! We can exchange numbers!" Amy said excitedly.

"Sure, but I'm not exactly sure how to work mine, it's new and I've never had a cell phone before." Becky said in embarrassment.

"Don't worry. I can help you with that. I love electronics and computers." Said Amy. Their conversation was interrupted by a voice going out over the loudspeakers.

"Good afternoon students, and welcome back to Sheffield. I hope you all had a restful and productive holiday." Professor Knickerbocker said into the microphone. "We'll be starting today's rally with a gymnastics performance by our own Lisa Sonders." The crowd exploded into cheers at the announcement. Becky looked to the gym floor and noticed a large blue mat had been set up. The cheering grew even louder as a blonde haired girl in a green leotard walked onto the floor. She smiled and gave the crowd an enthusiastic wave as she moved to one corner of the mat.

Becky thought the girl looked familiar to her, but she couldn't figure out from where. She wracked her memory trying to place the girl's face and ponytail, but came up empty. The crowd quieted down and the girl closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her arms were locked in strait lines and hung at her sides. Even from a distance Becky could tell how much Lisa was concentrating. A rock song started playing and the girl sprang into action. She ran forward and did a series of forward flips, coming to a stop at the opposite corner of the mat. She quickly spun around and continued the show. She sprang forward and leapt into the air. Becky was in awe of the girls performance, she couldn't believe someone could be so graceful. Lisa was far from done. On her next pass she did three back flips in a row. She then leapt into the air again and started to spin like a top. While she was still mid-air she released a bright red ribbon that twirled around her as she spun. When she landed she continued to twirl the ribbon around in complex patterns. Lisa moved to one corner and dropped the ribbon and prepared for the big finish. She jumped again, as she did she tucked her knees against her body and grabbed her feet. She tumbled head over heels. At the last second she pulled out of the move and landed on her feet, her arms raised over her head in triumph. The entire school exploded in excitement over the show.

"Wooh! Go Lisa!" Amy called out. "You rock girl!"

"She's amazing." Becky was breathless.

"Isn't she? She's one of the schools top athletes. Since she's been on the school's gymnastics team they haven't lost a competition yet."

"Wow." Becky turned back to look at Lisa again. She waved to the crowed again and walked off. Becky felt something stir inside her as she watched the gymnast go, a tingling in the pit of her stomach. It was nothing like she had ever experienced before. It confused her, she had no idea why she felt this way or where it was coming from. The pep rally continued with presentations from other school activity groups. The cheerleaders did a dance routine, which was followed by a performance by the school band. The show ended with the school's drama club reenacting a scene from a popular movie. Becky watched halfheartedly, none of them were as interesting as Lisa had been. When it was over Knickerbocker dismissed the school for the day.

"So what do you think?" Amy asked Becky. The two girls were walking to the locker rooms, which was where Amy said they were going to meet up with her friends.

"It was pretty exciting. There's defiantly some talented people here." Said Becky.

"You're right about that. I'm glad you're impressed." Amy said with a smile. "Oh! There's Sarah!" Amy pointed to a girl leaning against the wall near the entrance to girl's locker room. She had long brownish blonde hair that had a pair of braids in it. She wore a long denim skirt that went down to her ankles and a white t-shirt. Her emerald green eyes were framed by a pair of half circle glasses.

"Hey Amy!" The girl called merrily. "Who's this?" She asked when she spotted Becky.

"Becky, this is Sarah Childs." Amy said in way of an introduction.

"Hi." Sarah said warmly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Same here." Becky said back.

"Becky just started here today." Amy explained. "I invited her to go along with us."

"Cool, the more the merrier. So this is your first day? How exciting. So what do like to do for fun?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, I don't know. The usual stuff I guess." Becky said with a shrug. In truth she didn't know what to tell Sarah. She hadn't had a chance to develop any interests yet. Though she had to admit she was growing to like some of the fantasy books that Will had. She also really liked playing video games, she had gotten hooked at the arcade. When she thought about that something stirred in her memory, but she didn't know what that something was.

"She's kinda shy, isn't she?" Said Sarah to Amy.

"Yeah, but I think she'll grow out of it." Amy said.

"So what did you two think of the band's performance?" Sarah asked.

"They were alright." Amy said. "I wish you had agreed to perform, you would of put the whole lot of them to shame."

"Oh, I doubt that. Besides, you know how I get stage fright with such a large group. I would never of made it out onto the floor." Sarah blushed slightly and turned her head away. Seeing Becky's confused look Amy explained.

"Sarah sings and plays guitar." She said. "She's really good, but it's also really hard to get her to play for other people besides us."

"Oh stop it Amy." Sarah said in embarrassment.

"So where are the others?" Amy asked.

"I'm not sure. They should have been here by now." Sarah said with a shrug. Before Amy could say anything else a cry echoed through the hallway.

"Gangway! Coming through!" Several people jumped to one side as a girl on a pair skate shoes came thundering past. She jumped a short flight of stairs and came to a screeching halt in front of the others. Becky looked over the newcomer. Her raven black hair was cut short. The girl had added a bright pink streak to her hair right over her left eye. Her blue jeans were faded and torn in several places. Through the tears Becky could see she wore black tights underneath her pants. Her black shirt had a picture on the front of a cartoon skater girl. "Amy, Sarah, how's it hanging?" The girl said. "And who's the new kid?"

"I'm Becky Vandom." There was a hint of fear in her voice as she spoke. She was slightly intimidated by this girl.

"Trista Harding. Nice to meet ya Becks." Trista grabbed Becky's hand and shook it vigorously. Becky thought her arm was going to be pulled out of the socket.

"Take it easy Trista! You're going to freak her out!" Sarah said in horror. "It's her first day here! Don't scare her!"

"Don't mind her Becky." Said Amy. "She may seem kind of wild, but Trista is a good person. She's just got a overload of personality."

"Yeah, don't take me too seriously. I just don't how to keep my mouth shut all that well." Becky relaxed, realizing that Trista wasn't a punk. She just had her own style.

"I like that pink streak in your hair." She said.

"Thanks, it's my trademark. My mom keeps trying to convince me to wash it out, but that's not going to happen. I've had it forever and it's not going anywhere." Trista said in pride.

"Hey, I thought Knickerbocker said you couldn't wear your skate shoes to school." Sarah said.

"She says lots of things. But what she doesn't know can't hurt me!" Trista said with a wicked grin.

"And with that attitude it's no wonder you get detention all the time." Said a voice from behind them. They had been so engrossed in their conversation they hadn't noticed the person exit the locker room.

"Hey Lisa." Trista said casually. "Great performance out there. You really wowed them." Becky's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe it when she saw Lisa standing before her. She was now wearing a blue sweat suit that matched her eyes. She also now realized where she recognized Lisa from, now that she was up close and had taken her hair out of the ponytail, letting her blonde locks fall lose around her face. Lisa was the girl she had run into at the arcade that day in the mall.

"Thanks Trista." Lisa said happily.

"Amy! Why didn't you tell me that you knew Lisa!" Becky cried out in panic.

"Oh? Well hello." Lisa said pleasantly. Her voice rang melodiously in Becky's ears. "I remember you. I saw you in the arcade about a week before Christmas. You kicked butt on Dance Master."

"Uh yeah." Becky managed to mumble out.

"Ha! I think we found a fan." Trista said in good natured mirth.

"Lisa Sonders, meet Becky Vandom. The newest student here and our new friend." Amy said.

"Well that's great!" Lisa said. "Welcome to the gang!"

"Yeah, welcome aboard!" Trista cried out. Becky couldn't believe her luck. Without even trying she had made four friends. She was amazed at how effortless it had been. Becky had thought that no one was going to like her, but instead she had found four people who were not only nice, but were actually interested in hanging out with her.

"Let's go, I'm starving." Lisa said. The group started walking towards the school's exit.

"Okay." Amy said. "But Becky needs to call home first. You better do it outside, the reception sucks in here."

"So Lisa, did you get that sweater you wanted for Christmas?" Sarah asked as they neared the main entrance.

"No." Lisa said. "My parents couldn't find it in my size."

"Bummer." Trista said.

"Bum! That's it!" Stacey called out in her shrill voice. Becky froze in fear, knowing that things were about to come crashing down around her. Everyone turned to look at Stacey, who was still wearing her blue and white cheerleader uniform. "It took me awhile to figure it out, and I've got to admit you clean up really well."

"What are you babbling about?" Trista said in a annoyed tone. Her dislike for the cheerleader was more then evident.

"You four don't know, that's the best part! So Becky, tell me. Where's the best garbage to eat?"

"What?! That's low Stacey! Even for you!" Amy cried out in anger.

"You don't get it! You're new pal here is a homeless loser!"

"Becky?" Amy said.

"I saw her picking food out of a dumpster a few days before that big snowstorm hit!" Stacey had a self satisfied smile on her face. She was extremely pleased with herself. "Who let someone as pathetic as you in anyways? What happened? Did someone feel sorry for you or something? Or did you trick someone to take you in? That was it, wasn't it?! You conned some poor sap into giving you a place to crash! What's the plan?! You going to rip them off after they trust you?!"

"Oh man, it's true, isn't it?" Said Trista. All of the girls were looking at Becky in openmouthed shock. Tears began to flow down Becky's cheeks. It was all over before it had even began. Just like that she had lost her new found friends.

"I'm sorry." She croaked out in between her sobs. Becky backed up from the others. She then quickly turned and ran off.

"That's right! Get lost you loser!" Stacey shouted after her. Becky ran blindly through the halls of the school, desperately seeking the exit. It wasn't fair, what had she done to Stacey to cause her to ruin her friendship with the others? When she reached the main doors she burst through them, startling several people. She kept running until she reached the bus stop. Even though several people on the bus stared at her she couldn't stop crying.

Becky laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She dreaded the next day. She could already picture it now. Soon the whole school would know about her living on the streets, Stacey would see to that. She'd never have any friends now. No one would care why she had been out there. Becky told Will about the whole incident when she got home. Will had tried to comfort her daughter, but Becky had insisted she wanted to be alone. Will had agreed, but she obviously didn't like it. Becky didn't know how she was going to handle being around Amy and the others. Would they tease her like everyone else? The best she could hope for was that they would just ignore her. Becky's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door.

"Becky, honey, can I come in?" Will called through the door. Becky sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Yeah, the door is open." Becky said once she had composed herself. Will opened the door and stuck her head inside.

"How you doing?" She asked. She had one of those gentle smiles on her face that Becky found so comforting.

"Okay, I guess." Becky said.

"Good, because there's some people here who really want to see you." Before Becky could ask who it was Will ducked out and Amy, Trista, Sarah and Lisa all walked through the door.

"What are you guys doing here!?" Becky cried out in surprise.

"We were worried about you." Amy said.

"We called to you after you ran off, but I don't think you heard us." Sarah said.

"You aren't mad at us, are you?" Amy asked in a concerned tone.

"No, of course not. I just figured you didn't like me anymore." Becky turned her head away. "I mean, why would you after what Stacey said?"

"Not like you? Geez, did that self-important snob's words hurt you that bad?" Trista said angrily. "I really wish you three hadn't held me back. One good spin kick to the side of that stuck up head of hers would of taught her a lesson!"

"Yeah, and if that had happened you'd be the one in detention instead of her!" Said Sarah.

"Stacey got detention?" Becky asked.

"For a whole week! Plus she's suspended from the cheer squad as well! Knickerbocker heard what she said, and was she furious! She dragged Stacey off to her office by the arm! Gave her an earful the entire way!" Sarah said in delight.

"I appreciate you wanting to stick up for me. But it wasn't necessary." Becky said.

"Not necessary! What are you talking about!? Anyone messes with one of my friends they have to deal with me!" Said Trista. Lisa sat down next to Becky and put a hand on her shoulder. Becky could feel her face going red. The strange feeling in her stomach had returned as well.

"We don't care if use to live on the street." She said. "We like you and want to be your friends."

"Really?" Becky asked.

"Yeah, we really do." Amy said. "It's like Lisa said earlier, your one of us now. And we stick by our friends." Tears started to flow from Becky's eyes again. Only this time they were tears of joy.

"Thank you! All of you!" Becky said with a sniff "I'm so glad I met you four!"

"The feelings mutual." Sarah said with a smile.

"One question though. How did you know where I live?"

"Oh that." Amy said sheepishly. "While Knickerbocker was occupied with Stacey I sorta hacked into the school's computer system and looked up your address."

"No way!" Becky was impressed that Amy could do something like that.

"Ah, it was easy. The security system is a joke. They'll never know I was in there." Amy said. "Oh! Give me your cell phone." Becky reached into her coat pocket and pulled it out. Amy took it and started fiddling with it. After a couple of minutes she handed it back to Becky. "There you go. All of our numbers are programmed in. You can reach us anytime any time now."

"Great! Let me give you guys my numbers too!" Becky grabbed a lose piece of paper and jotted her home phone and cell number down. She handed it over to the other girls who all quickly programmed them into their own cell phones.

"Everything okay in there?" Will asked from the doorway.

"Everything's fine now mom." Becky answered.

"I thought it would be. I went ahead and ordered a pizza for you girls. It should be here soon." Will said before she walked off.

"Wow, she's cool." Said Lisa.

"I know. I'm lucky she wanted to adopt me." Becky said. The pizza arrived soon after that. As they ate Becky told her friends the story of her past. She explained everything, how she was beaten by her parents, about running away from them and nearly dying in the snowstorm. She told them how Will saved her life, not once, but twice. When she was done the others were left speechless.

"I can't believe you went through that." Lisa said sadly. "I'm so sorry."

"Thanks." Said Becky. "You know, I'm really do like you guys."

"The feeling is mutual Becks." Said Trista. "Something tells me we're going to have a blast together."

"Hey!" Sarah said suddenly. "That's a acronym for our names! Becky Lisa Amy Sarah Trista, blast. How cool is that!"

"Hey neat! We've got a team name now!" Amy said. As the evening wore on the others had to go home for the night. Becky was exhausted from the day's events and went to bed early. That night Becky had a dream. While she had dreamed before, she had never had a dream like this. It was so vivid and lifelike. She was in a field surrounded by mountains. Her feet didn't touch the ground, she was floating just above the floor of the valley. Her toes pointed downward and just barely skimmed the grass. But perhaps the strangest part was that her entire body seemed to be made out of pink electricity. She wasn't alone in the valley. There were four others as well. She couldn't tell who they were, but she felt a kinship with them. It was as if there was a bond between them that couldn't be broken. She couldn't make out their faces, but she got a sense that they were girls like her. Each of them seemed to be made out of elemental energy like her. The one to her left was made out of crystal blue water. The one to her right was a raging inferno of fire. The one behind her was composed of lush green plants. The one that stood in front of her was made of swirling waves of translucent air. Becky didn't understand what this dream meant, but there were others in the universe that knew all to well what it represented. One person rejoiced at the dream, and welcomed what it would bring. There was another that was displeased at what the dream represented. This person wished nothing but harm to the sleeping girl. Little did Becky know that even while she slept peacefully this malevolent person was already searching for her and that his forces were slowly closing in.

**Well then, the chapter ends here! And don't think for a second that we've seen the last of Stacey, she will return, I promise! I've decided that I'm going to start giving you guys teasers here. So, next chapter, it's Guardian time! I'll get it up as soon as possible, I promise! **


	8. Chapter 8 Destiny Revealed

**Hello everyone. I know it's been awhile since I posted a chapter and I'm sorry. I've had a lot to deal with in my life lately. Nothing major, but it was enough to distract me from working on this chapter. Speaking of which, I kind of struggled with this one. I had trouble designing the Guardian outfits and the bad guys I have in here. I think I did a acceptable job, but feel free to disagree with me. Now then, down to buissness. A welcome and a thank you to Sergio Dumbledore. And as always give me some reviews please!**

Chapter Eight: Destiny Revealed

Will was pleased to see Becky slowly shedding her depressed persona. It wasn't like she had changed overnight. Becky was still prone to fits of self doubt and sadness, but they were becoming more infrequent. Will credited the change to her daughter's four friends and she was confident that in time Becky would leave the pain of her old life behind and grow to be a normal teenage girl. Amy and the others would comment on how Becky wasn't as shy as she once had been. School was going well for her. She was doing good in most of her classes, her teachers often commented on how bright she was. She was still concerned about Stacey. The cheerleader was furious at her punishment and had blamed Becky for it, even though she hadn't done a thing. In front of the entire school she had vowed to get her revenge on Becky. Amy and the others tried to reassure her, but Becky couldn't shake the feeling that Stacey was going to do everything possible to make her miserable. Becky loved spending time with her friends. The five of them would hang out at lunch time, go to the mall on the weekends and have noisy sleepovers. She was also learning more about them as well.

Trista lived with her mother who was a reporter for the local newspaper. Besides being a avid skateboarder Trista took martial arts and had actually won several tournaments. She could be loud and outspoken at times, but there was no one who was more loyal to her friends. Her free spirit attitude and slight disregard for the rules had made her a regular in detention.

Sarah's parents traveled and were hardly ever home. So most of the time it was just her, her older brother Ken and her black cat Onyx. Becky asked her if she ever got lonely without her parents around. Sarah smiled and said it wasn't that bad. Her parents loved her very much and always made the most of the time they did have together, plus she had her brother. Becky heard Sarah sing and play her guitar and was totally amazed at her talent

Amy's parents ran a successful construction company. Becky had learned first hand that Amy had understated her love of electronics. When she had first walked into her friend's room she had thought she had stepped into a electronics store. Every inch of free space had been stuffed all kinds of electronic devices, many of which Becky had no idea what they were used for. Amy also turned out to be a huge anime fan. Her collection of DVDs and manga covered an entire side of her room. While Becky felt equally close to all her friends she had come to consider Amy to be her best friend, a sentiment that Amy eagerly returned.

Lisa's father was a firefighter and her mom was a housewife. She had been doing gymnastics since she was seven, but had no aspirations to be a pro athlete. She just liked doing it for fun. Becky also found Lisa to be a very kind person. She didn't have a bad word to say about anyone except for bullies like Stacey. Lisa wouldn't hesitate to help anyone who needed a hand. Becky still would get that fluttery feeling in her stomach when she was around Lisa, and it remained a mystery why she felt that way.

Becky felt that her life was finally going her way. Will was a wonderful mom who loved her very much, and she had four incredible friends by her side. There was one thing that had worried her however. The dream she had after her first day of school had been recurring every night for almost a month now. She didn't know what it was supposed to mean, she was just glad it wasn't a nightmare. A new detail had also started to appear. In the dream Becky and the other four girls all had black and green fairy wings. The dream was the farthest thing on her mind however on one particular Friday night. The gang entered Becky's home, already making plans for the evening.

"I've been looking forward to this movie forever!" Amy cried out excitedly. "I love sci-fi flicks!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Becky said.

"Hey!" Amy shouted. She shoved Becky playfully and the others started giggling.

"I thought I heard you girls." Will said as she stepped out of the kitchen. "How was school?"

"Fine." Said Becky. "Is it alright if I go to a movie tonight?"

"I don't see why not." Said Will.

"Great!" Said Sarah. "We'll come pick you up later! See you then!"

"Okay, later!" Becky said as her friends left. "So what's for dinner? I'm starved." Will laughed and announced they were having spaghetti. As they ate Becky's thoughts were once again drawn to her strange dream. She had been pondering what it meant for days now. Becky had zoned out to the point where she didn't even hear Will talking to her.

"Hey Becky? You home?" Will said when she realized Becky wasn't hearing a word she was saying.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was thinking about this dream I've been having." Becky said in embarrassment. She hadn't meant to lose touch with reality.

"Oh?" Will said. She suddenly had a mischievous grin on her face. "Is it about some cute boy?"

"Mom! It's nothing like that!" Becky said in a annoyed tone.

"You can't tell me that the boys haven't been looking at you." Will saw a opportunity to mess with Becky and took it. "You must of drawn the notice of at least one or two by now. You may not think it, but you're a very pretty girl."

"Knock it off mom!" Seeing that she had achieved her goal Will decided to back off. Though from the look on her daughter's face she could tell Becky did have someone special on her mind. Will thought it was possible that Becky didn't know it yet herself.

"Okay! I'll give it a rest!" Will held up her hands in mock defeat. "So, tell me about this dream of yours."

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain." Becky said. She put her hands under her chin as she started to describe her dream. "I'm in this field surrounded by mountains."

"That doesn't sound so strange to me." Will said as she took a bite of her spaghetti.

"Well, that's kind of the only normal part. You see, my feet don't touch the ground. I'm floating just above the grass."

"That is kind of strange." Will said.

"It gets stranger. In the dream I'm made of electricity. I'm not alone either, there are four other girls there. Only they're made out of the four elements. Fire, water, earth and air." When she said this Will stopped mid-bite and dropped her fork. "You okay mom?"

"I'm fine." Will said quickly as she picked her fork back up. "So, is there anything else strange in this dream?"

"Well, something new did start showing up recently." Becky was slightly confused over Will's sudden change in behavior. "We all have these fairy wings." Again Will dropped her fork and she now had a stunned look on her face. Becky was about to say something when there was a knock at the front door. "Oh! That'll be the girls! I've got to go. See you later mom." Becky grabbed her coat and dashed to answer the door. She greeted her friends and they left. They chatted happily as they walked away from the building, none of them noticing the shadowy figure watching them from the alley. The person reached into his cloak and pulled out what looked like a piece of glass shaped like an octagon. He raised it to his face and spoke to the ghostly image that appeared in it.

"I've found them." Was all he said.

Will cleaned up the kitchen, but she wasn't paying attention to what she was doing. Her mind was preoccupied with other matters. The dream Becky had described to her had her worried. If it meant what she thought it meant then her daughter and her friends were in for some exciting times. But shouldn't she of been contacted about this, after all 'it' was still in her possession. That's when she was hit with a sudden notion she couldn't ignore. Will raced to her room and started to hastily dig through a cardboard box in the back of her closet. It was the only way to confirm the truth. Before she even opened the small wooden box she now grasped in her hand she knew her suspicions were right. A mystical pink glow was seeping out from the cracks of the box. She snapped it open and magical pink light flooded the room. She stared at the magical jewel attached to a simple silver chain. The gem had not glowed like that in years.

"My God." Will said breathlessly. Already she was forming a plan on how to explain the destiny that Becky and her four friends faced. There was no doubt about it now. As Will stood up a beam of light shot out from the jewel, forming a picture in front of Will's face. It showed the girls innocently walking down the street, unaware they were being followed.

"Oh no." Said Will, knowing the girls were in danger. She had to find them, and fast. Will went to her dresser and picked up the pair of knives sitting there. She looked at them for a moment. She had always wished would never have to use them, but right then she was extremely glad to have them. Caleb had told her that there might come a time she would need them, and it looked like that time had come. She picked up the phone and dialed Hay Lin's number.

"Hello, thanks for calling the Silver Dragon. Is this for pickup or delivery?" Hay Lin said when she answered on the other end.

"Hay Lin, it's Will!"

"What's wrong?!" Hay Lin recognized the urgency in her friend's voice.

"Get in touch with as many as the others as possible. Have them start looking for Becky and her friends, and tell them to go armed!"

"What!?" Shouted Hay Lin. "Will what's going on!?"

"The Heart has reawakened! This is Guardian business! The girls are in danger! If you find them, get them back to the Dragon until I arrive with the Heart!"

"You're going after them?" Said Hay Lin.

"The Heart should lead me right to them, but I want as many of us looking for them as possible, just in case."

"Okay, good luck!" Said Hay Lin before she hung up.

"I need your help on last time." Will whispered to the jewel in her hand. "Please, help me to find my daughter before it's to late." Will stuck the jewel into a pocket, strapped her knives to her waist, and was out the door.

"I don't know what was with my mom tonight. She was acting really weird." Becky said as she walked down the street with her friends.

"Eh, everyone's parents act weird Becky." Trista said with a shrug.

"It's just, she started acting funny after I told her about this weird dream I've been having."

"You know, I've been having a unusual dream myself." Said Amy with a laugh. "I'm in this valley, and I'm floating just above the ground." The hair stood up on the back of Becky's neck and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"You aren't alone. There are four others with you." Becky said in a frightened tone.

"You can't tell who they are, because like you they're made of elemental energy." Said a stunned Trista.

"But you feel like you know them." Sarah said in a whisper.

"It's like all five of you are connected in a special way." Lisa said slowly.

"No way! Not possible!" Trista blurted out. "There is no way we can be having the same dream! That can't happen!"

"Did you all have these fairy wings!?" Amy asked in fright.

"This doesn't make sense! How can this be happening!?" Sarah shouted.

"There has to be an explanation for this!" Lisa cried out. Everyone was talking at once. They were a mass of confusion. Becky was trying to wrap her mind around the situation, but everyone's frightened chatter made it impossible for her to think.

"Quiet!" Becky shouted. The others stopped talking and looked at her. "Sorry. Look, I think we need to go talk to my mom. The way she was acting tells me she knows something about this. She might be able to tell us what's going on."

"Good idea Becky." Said Lisa. She quickly turned around to go back to the apartment and nearly ran into a large person wearing a hooded cloak. "Oh, I'm sorry." She said. The person didn't respond, he just stood there, the only sound he made was his heavy breathing.

"Something isn't right." Amy whispered. In her mind Becky agreed, she had a bad feeling that this person was dangerous. That's when she saw the dull glint of metal in his gloved hand.

"Lisa look out!" Becky screamed. She grabbed Lisa and quickly pulled her back just as the stranger slashed out with his knife. It whizzed through the air where only a second before Lisa's neck had been.

"Shit!" Shouted Trista. She leapt forward and delivered a devastating side kick to their attacker's chest. He roared as he stumbled backwards, the hood falling away from his face. They all gasped at what they saw. Whoever this person was, he wasn't human. His skin was covered in dark green scales, he didn't have a nose, only two small holes. His mouth was full of pointed teeth and his yellow eyes glowed with hate.

"I am not seeing this!" Lisa shouted.

"Run!" Becky cried out. They quickly turned and ran off. The lizard like man pulled out his magical communication device.

"They got away from me. They're heading for the center of town, cut them off." He put the piece of glass away and started to chase after the girls.

"We need to find a cop!" Amy shouted as they ran.

"There's a police station just… Ahhh!" Sarah screamed as another of the lizard men jumped out in front of them. Trista dropped down and swept her leg out, knocking the creature down. He instantly got back up.

"No way!" She shouted out. "I'm hitting these things with everything I've got and it's barely fazing them!"

"This way!" Cried Becky. They continued their frightened flight from the monsters, desperately looking for help. But more of the lizard men kept jumping out at them.

"They're herding us!" Becky cried out when she realized they were being pushed into the industrial part of town. Becky wracked her brain, trying to figure out where they were. But she wasn't very familiar with that part of town. When she saw where they were heading she knew they were in real trouble. "Oh no…" she moaned. When the cleared the buildings they found themselves facing the waterfront with no where to go.

"It's a dead end!" Amy shouted. "We need to go back!" But it was to late for that. Their retreat had already been cut off.

"They're everywhere!" Cried Lisa. There were about a dozen of the creatures slinking out of the shadows, all of them were armed with deadly looking knives and swords.

"Damn it!" Shouted Trista. "This can't be happening!" Becky couldn't agree more. At one time dying was something she had expected, even looked forward to, but now she wanted to live. It wasn't fair, why was this happening now that she actually had a chance at a normal life? Fear began to flood into her heart. She was about to break down when someone took her hand in their own. She looked over and saw Lisa looking at her with a sad smile on her face.

"I'm really glad I got to meet you Becky." She said. The fear in Becky's heart began to dissolve. There was something in Lisa's eyes and touch that were calming to Becky, something that told her that no matter what everything would be okay. Becky looked at the approaching monsters with scorn. She knew what she had to do. She stepped in front of Lisa and stared them down.

"You know what guys!" She said in a defiant voice. "I've had enough! I don't know about you, but I'm not going down without a fight!"

"I'm with you Becks! If these freaks are going to take me out then I'm going to make sure they get a bloody nose for it!" Shouted Trista. "Come and get some you scaly jerks!"

"I may not be a fighter like you Trista, but I'll give it all I've got!" Amy shouted.

"Same here!" Sarah shouted. "They're going to find this won't be as easy as they thought it would be!"

"It's been fun." Lisa said, stepping out from behind Becky. "If I'm going to die, I'm glad it's with you guys." They formed a circle and faced their attackers. The lizard men continued their advance.

"This is it guys." Becky said. She raised her fists, ready to go down fighting. The closest of the creatures raised his sword, ready to strike Becky down.

"Hiyah!" Someone yelled from the surrounding darkness. The lizard man closest to Becky crumpled under the force of a flying kick. Whoever it was landed in a crouch, one of their legs extended out to the side. Becky gasped when the person looked up.

"Mom!" She cried out in surprise. Will didn't say anything. She just leapt to her feet and drew her knives from behind her back. Several of the lizard men hissed at the new threat before them and charged Will. One swung his sword downwards, but Will caught it in between the crossed blades of her knives. She quickly kicked the surprised monster in the gut, knocking him backwards. Will then spun around and slashed two more of the freakish monsters that had come up behind her.

"Wow! She's good!" Trista said. More of the monsters abandoned the girls to attack Will. She continued to fight back, but despite her best efforts she was slowly losing ground.

"There's too many of them!" Amy cried out.

"Mom!" Becky yelled in fright. Will did a flip kick, knocking one of the monsters back into several of his comrades. Will quickly reached into a pocket and pulled something out.

"Becky catch!" She yelled, throwing the object into the air. Becky instinctively raised her arm and the object seemed to fly right into her hand. She stared at a necklace with a glowing pink jewel attached to it.

"What am I supposed to do with this!?" She cried out.

"Look inside yourself!" Will yelled as she continued to fight off the monsters. "You'll know what to do!" Becky didn't understand what Will was talking about. She looked down at the mysterious glowing gem in her hand. Once she locked her eyes on it a flood of images filled her mind. She couldn't understand much of what was being shown to her. She saw images of teenaged girls flying through the sky and battling strange creatures. The images moved faster and faster, blurring together. Becky heard voices as well, and although she couldn't understand much of what was being said, one message came through loud and clear. Becky didn't stop to think about what she was doing. She raised the hand holding the necklace over her head, letting the jewel dangle free. She didn't know what good it would do, but she shouted out two words that would alter their lives forever.

"Guardians unite!"

The effect was immediate. Five balls of colored light shot out of the jewel and enveloped Becky and her friends. The world around them dissolved into a furious mix of colors that were like the fourth of July and a laser light show rolled into one. Becky felt herself floating off of the ground and curled into a fetal position. A warm sensation surrounded her as her clothes disappeared. She could feel herself growing taller, her chest and hips filling out. The light began to fade and a word came unbidden to her lips.

"Quintessence!" Becky stood with her legs spread apart and her arms outstretched at an angle from her sides. One by one her friends spoke as well.

"Water!" Amy called out happily. She stood with her legs together and one arm raised in front of her face, her index and middle fingers pointing up.

"Fire!" Trista shouted passionately. She was in a fighting stance, her arms poised to strike.

"Earth!" Sarah said in a serene voice. She stood strait up with her arms crossed across her chest.

"Air!" Lisa sang in ecstasy. Her arms were raised above her head in a gymnastics landing pose. Their clothes had been replaced by pink and turquoise outfits and blue and green stripped leggings. They all now had gossamer wings on their backs.

"Okay, what just happened?" Trista asked, but before any of them could digest this change of events things became chaotic once more.

"No!" One of the lizard men cried in outrage. "Quickly! Kill them!" Several of the creatures turned from the fight with Will and charged the girls.

"Ha! You guys are in trouble now!" Will shouted happily when she saw that the girls had transformed. "All of you! Listen to me! You have your powers now! Kick these freak's asses!"

"Here goes nothing!" Trista shouted. She flung her hand out and a bright red fireball exploded from her palm. Her aim wasn't perfect and the fireball exploded on the pavement in front of a pair of the creatures, making them pause.

"Let me give it a try!" Amy said. She put her arms out and a powerful stream of water shot out of her hands, knocking down the same pair of monsters. She was unprepared for the force of her own attack however and fell backwards onto her butt.

"Yikes!" Yelled Sarah when she saw a trio of their attackers charging at her. She instinctively threw her arms up and gigantic vines burst from the ground, lifting the monsters up in the air. Dust floated over to Lisa, irritating her nose.

"Achoo!" When she sneezed hurricane force winds blew the creatures into the bay.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Will shouted triumphantly. One of the monsters growled angrily and attacked her.

"Mom!" Becky raised her hands and lighting bolts shot out, zapping the monster and shattering the windows of a nearby building. Broken glass flew everywhere. "Oops…"

"Regroup!" The lead lizard man shouted. They quickly formed into two lines. They had suffered a setback during the battle, but they were still determined to fight. "Take them!" They broke ranks and once again charged.

"I don't think so!" Hay Lin shouted as she swung a wooden staff into the head of one of the monsters. Irma appeared at her side wielding a short sword.

"Girls! Give us some air cover, quick!" Will shouted as she joined up with her two friends.

"You mean we can fly!? Yaaa!" Amy cried out as all of a sudden the wings on her back started flapping and lifted her feet first into the air.

"Oh, that could of gone better." Irma said as Amy continued to fly around out of control. She knocked the weapon out of one monster's hand and then decked him.

"Like we did any better our first time." Hay Lin said back as she nonchalantly smacked another of the lizard men with her staff.

"Less talking, more ass kicking ladies!" Will called out. Becky concentrated and she lifted up off of the ground, she was unsteady at first, but she managed to gain her balance. Despite the situation they were in she was elated by the feeling of being able to actually fly. She was soon joined by the others and Amy finally managed to get herself under control. "That's what I'm talking about!" Will shouted.

"I think it's time we teach these guys a lesson!" Becky shouted. She raised her hands and began raining lighting down on the lizard men. The creatures broke down in confusion, no longer knowing who to attack.

"Damn! We can not win this! Fall back!" The leader called. His men immediately began falling back into the shadows, helping their wounded comrades as they went. Before running off the commander yelled at the girls. "You may of won for now! But don't think this is the end!" Once they were gone the girls landed.

"I must say you girls did better then we did our first time out." Will said proudly. "I'm impressed."

"Okay, I don't mean to be rude here." Said Trista. "But what the hell is going on!? Who were those guys!? Why were they trying to kill us!?"

"Take it easy Trista!" Becky said. "I don't think freaking out is going to help. Though I do think we need an explanation here mom. You know what's going on, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. This isn't the best place to be discussing things, so I'll give you the quick version. You five girls are the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions. You've been chosen to be the protectors of the universe."

"Come again." Said Amy. All of the girls had bewildered looks on their faces.

"I know it's hard to understand. You see, there are countless worlds out there. Most are peaceful places, full of all kinds of wonders. But there are others that aren't as pleasant. Some are full of dark, evil beings. It's the Guardians job to defend the good worlds from the evil ones. Like I said, this isn't the place to talk about these things." Will turned to Irma and Hay Lin. "Where are the others?"

"We lucked out. Elyon was in town. She went with Cornelia, Taranee and Caleb to search the other end of the city." Irma said.

"Good, call them up. You know where to have them meet us. I expect the Oracle is waiting." Irma nodded and pulled out her cell phone. Will turned to look the girls over. From the looks of things they were all going to grow up to be major babes. She was going to have her work cut out for her with Becky, cause the boys were going to be all over her.

"What?" Asked Becky when she saw Will staring at her.

"Just admiring your outfits, that's all." Will said. The girls looked down, and were surprised at what they saw.

"Whoa! What's this all about!?" Sarah shouted. They looked each other over, checking out their Guardian clothes. Becky had a pink shirt that had a low cut V shape in the front and left her stomach bare. The sleeves went down to her elbows and flared out at the end. She also had a turquoise miniskirt that had a slit cut into the left side that went all the way to the waist. On her feet were a pair of pink sneakers.

Lisa's shirt was turquoise and skin tight. The sleeves went down to her wrists and there was a diamond shape cut out over her navel. Her loose skirt was pink and went down as far as her knees. The splits on both sides went to about the middle of her hips. She had blue leather boots that went to the middle of her calves.

Amy's outfit showed the most skin by far. Her shirt was a turquoise tube top that left her shoulders and midriff bare. Her miniskirt was pink and had a pair of two inch slits on the sides. She was the only one whose leggings didn't go all the way up her legs. Instead they ended just below her knees. She had sneakers like Becky, but instead of pink they were purple.

Sarah's shirt was turquoise and went up to the bottom of her neck, the sleeves going just past her elbows. There was a capital 'A' shape cut into both the front and back, leaving her stomach and lower back bare. The curved sides of the shirt ended just above her hips. Her skirt was pink and went down to her ankles. Like Lisa's skirt it was split up both sides. She had a green belt wrapped around her waist. Her turquoise boots went up to her knees and had green laces going all the way up the front.

Trista's shirt was a pink tank top that left her belly bare. Instead of a skirt she had a pair of turquoise bicycle shorts on, the legs going about a quarter of the way down her thighs. Her shoes were a pair of short purple boots that went just above her ankles.

"Wow! We're total hotties!" Amy shouted excitedly. Will chuckled, remembering the similar response she and her friends had when they first saw themselves in their Guardian forms. "And is it just me, or have we just suddenly turned seventeen?"

"Yeah, that happens when you transform." Said Will. "You temporarily grow older."

"So this is how we're going to look when we get to be this age?" Lisa asked.

"Pretty much." Said Irma.

"Awesome! I can't believe how hot we're going to be!" Lisa said. In Becky's opinion Lisa was already very pretty. Becky shuddered, having no idea where that sudden thought had come from. She was becoming more and more confused about her feelings for her friend. She wished she understood what it all meant. First she was getting that weird feeling in her stomach around the blonde and now she was thinking how pretty she was. What was going on?

"Hey Becky? You okay?" Asked Lisa. "You zoned out there."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just trying to take this all in." She said quickly.

"I hear that!" Trista said.

"Okay, it's time to go." Will said.

"Go? Go where?" Asked Sarah.

"Kandrakar."

**Well, there you go, I hope you enjoyed it. In the next chapter the girls will learn more about thier duties and powers. Also, some familiar faces will be making an apperance. All that and more in the next chapter. I'll do my best not to take so long to get it up. So until next time, this is shocklance signing out!**


	9. Chapter 9 Explanations

**Hey everyone I'm finally back with chapter nine. I know it's been several weeks since I've posted anything and I'm sorry. The last several weeks have been rather problematic for me. Things just sometimes have a way of happening at once and it kind of overwhelmed me for awhile. I won't go into details since this isn't really the place for that. **

**Now for a few items of buissness. First, thank you's and welecomes go out to Sokai, 5hadow Lady, and Wilhelmina Vandom (I seriously recomend going to read her story 'Never A Normal Life'!) for their reviews. Also, special thanks go to LordofDarkness2099 for giving me some notes and ideas that went into this chapter.**

**Finally, I'm considering starting a forum page for BLAST. If you'd be intrested in something like that send me a PM to let me know. If I get enough of a response I'll go ahead and start it up. As always click on the review button and let me know how I'm doing.** **So without any further ado, I present chapter nine!**

Chapter Nine: Explanations

Many would find the site of a giant stone temple floating on clouds strange. Of course those people didn't know the truth about the universe. They didn't know that thousands upon thousands of worlds existed alongside their own. If they did they would hardly find Kandrakar unusual. They would see it for the mystical place that it actually was. At least that's what a older lady with fading blonde hair thought. She was patiently waiting for the arrival of some very special young women as well as some old friends.

A sense of anticipation filled her when a shimmering ripple formed in the air at the base of the steps. Out of the fold stepped the people she was waiting for. A smile crossed her face when she saw the newest generation of Guardians. They were followed by three young women she was well acquainted with. The one with short red hair broke into a huge grin.

"Halinor!" Will called out happily. She dashed up the steps and embraced the older woman in a friendly hug. "It's good to see you!"

"Indeed! It's been far to long since you've come to visit us!" Halinor said. She turned her attention to Hay Lin and Irma. "The same can be said for you two as well!"

"Have Cornelia and the others gotten here yet?" Will asked.

"Yes, they arrived a few minutes ago. They're waiting in the council chamber." Halinor said. She looked at the girls who were all staring in amazement at what they were seeing. "So these are our new Guardians. Well, let me be the first to welcome you to Kandrakar. I'm Halinor, a member of the council and a former Guardian."

"What council?" Asked Becky. Halinor looked at Will questioningly.

"We haven't had time to explain everything to the girls. It's been a hectic night." Will said.

"I see, well, the Oracle and the rest of the council are waiting." Halinor gestured for the others to follow her inside.

Becky and her friends were in awe of the place around them. Will had told them a little about the where they were going, but the brief description she had given them paled in comparison to the real thing. They were still confused about what was going on, but hopefully things were become more clear. Becky thought back to what Will had told them shortly before she had opened up that glowing hole thing.

"Kandrakar? Where's that?" Amy asked.

"It's one of those other dimensions I told you about." Will said. "It's where the Council of Kandrakar resides. They watch over the universe and act as support for the Guardians."

"Okay…" Said Trista.

"I know, I know. It doesn't make much sense right now." Will said sympathetically. "Becky, I need you to use the Heart to open a fold for us."

"Use the what to open a what?" Becky blurted out.

"The jewel you used to transform. It's called the Heart of Kandrakar." Will said. "You can use it to open a fold, which is a doorway to another dimension." Becky looked at the gem in her hand, unable to believe something so small could have so much power.

"So, how do I use it?" She asked.

"It's an easy concept, though it can be a bit tricky until you get the hang of it." Will said. "Just keep the thought of going to Kandrakar in your mind and slash the Heart through the air." Becky nodded and did as Will had instructed. As she whipped the Heart in a diagonal arc a shimmering hole appeared in the air.

"Wicked!" Amy shouted in delight.

"Good job honey." Will said. "Like I said it can be hard to get the hang of at first. Going to a specific place is harder then going to a world in general. It will take you some time before you get it right. One more thing. Don't be surprised at seeing a giant stone temple floating on purple clouds. I don't know how it works, so don't ask. And it isn't a good idea to dwell on it either. I get a headache every time I try."

Becky had to admit hearing Will talk about it and seeing it for herself were two completely different things. Though she wouldn't admit it out loud she had been a little freaked out when they had arrived. It didn't make sense for a giant stone building to be sitting on clouds. But then, a lot of things that had happened that night didn't make much sense. She was impressed with the grand scale of the building. No matter where she turned there was something interesting to look at. Strange plants sat in ornate vases, intricate tapestries hung from the walls and a quick glance into a partially open door revealed a room filled with ancient looking books. Her friends looked to be as equally impressed. Lisa was whipping her head back and forth, trying to take in every inch of the temple. Trista just stared at everything in a rare moment of speechlessness.

"This place is incredible!" Sarah shouted out. Her voice echoed through the cavernous halls. Halinor laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Keep it down Sarah, who knows what kind of critters are roaming around here!" Amy said in fear.

"This isn't a video game dungeon Amy." Hay Lin said with a giggle. "There's no safer place then Kandrakar. Nobody here will hurt you."

"Except for Luba when no one changes her litter box." Irma said with a smirk. Will smacked the back of her head for her remark. "What?"

"And you wonder why Luba is always so cross with you. I would of thought you would of gotten the point by now." Will shook her head in exasperation.

"Ah, come on Will. You know I don't mean anything by it. Besides, someone has to get her to lighten up." The girls just looked at each other, seeing the same question on everyone else's faces that they themselves had. 'What have we gotten ourselves into?'

"So mom, I'm guessing you were a once a Guardian. That's why you know so much about what's going on." Becky said after Will had stopped giving Irma a hard time for her joke.

"Yep, I was keeper of the Heart like you. Irma was the water Guardian, Taranee was fire, Cornelia was earth, and Hay Lin air. We were your age when Yan Lin told us about being Guardians."

"Wait, Yan Lin knows about this stuff to?" Becky was surprised by this, she hadn't considered the possibility the elderly woman would be part of something like this.

"Yeah, grandma was the Air Guardian before me." Hay Lin said.

"So how do Caleb and Elyon fit into this? They must know, right?" Becky asked.

"That's going to take some explaining, but yeah, they're part of this as well." Becky's head began to hurt. It was like every time one of her questions got answered a dozen more popped into her mind.

Halinor led them into a large chamber that was ringed on one side with bleacher style stone benches. The room was lit by a pair of incredibly bright torches that didn't seem to be giving off any heat. Becky spotted several people inside talking. She instantly spotted Caleb, Cornelia, Taranee, and Elyon. A quick look showed that most of them were armed. Taranee had a round headed mace hanging from a metal ring on her belt. Cornelia was armed with a long, thin bladed sword while Caleb had a thicker broadsword at his side. Elyon seemed to be the only one of the four who didn't have a weapon.

Becky spotted Yan Lin sitting on the benches with a odd assortment of people. There was a older looking man sitting next to a woman with bright red hair and freckles. There was also a young blonde haired woman there as well who sort of looked like Cornelia. The most notable was a woman with fur covered skin, cat ears on top of her head and a tail. Sitting in the center of the group sat a bald headed man. He had a serene smile on his face and a kind look in his eyes. Cornelia's group walked over to join Becky and the others while Halinor took a seat on the benches next to Yan Lin.

"Welcome to Kandrakar Guardians. I am the Oracle." Said the bald headed man.

"Yo, what's up?" Trista said. The Oracle chuckled at the greeting. One member of the council wasn't as receptive to Trista's words.

"Insolent little whelp!" Yelled the cat woman. "How dare you address the Oracle in such a manner!"

"Hey! Watch who you're calling names furball!" Trista shouted back. The Oracle quickly acted to diffuse the situation.

"It is quite alright Luba." The Oracle said in a pacifying tone. "I didn't take any offense." Luba growled, but didn't say anything more.

"Don't mind Luba guys." Said Irma. "She's naturally grouchy, but she doesn't mean anything by it." Luba glared at Irma.

"Allow me to introduce the rest of the council. You've already meet Halinor, and Luba has made herself known. This is Yan Lin, who I understand already knows one of our new friends. This is Tibor, my friend and confidant." The older man smiled and nodded at the mention of his name. "This is Cassidy." The red haired woman smiled merrily. "And finally we have Lillian, Cornelia's younger sister and the Heart of Earth." Becky turned and look at Cornelia questioningly.

"Long story, we'll tell you later." Cornelia said.

"So now that you know us, would you be so kind as to tell us your names." Asked the Oracle. The girls quickly went around and introduced themselves. "It's our understanding that you're related to Will." The Oracle said to Becky.

"Yes, she's my adopted daughter." Will said, the love and pride in her voice was obvious. "I take it Taranee told you about her coming."

"Blunk tell them Will!" A short green frog like person wearing ragged clothes and a huge tooth on a chain jumped out from behind a pillar and bounded over towards Will. "Blondie girl send Blunk to tell Oracle what happening!"

"What the!?" Sarah cried out in surprise. "What the heck is that thing!?"

"Blunk!" Hay Lin called out happily.

"Smiley girl!" Blunk bounced over to Hay Lin and jumped into her arms. Becky didn't think she could be surprised by anything more tonight, but she had just been proven wrong. The last thing she had expected to see was a green skinned creature to appear, or that Will would know him.

"Girls, meet Blunk, he's a Passling. He's an old friend of ours from when we were Guardians." Will said.

"Yeah! New friends for Blunk!" The Passling called out happily. As he got closer to the girls their nostrils were invaded by a horrific stench.

"Glargh! What smells so bad!?" Amy blurted out. "Trista! Did you cut one!?"

"Hey! This is isn't one of mine!" Trista yelled. "Besides, I haven't purposely let one loose since the fifth grade!"

"Blunk have good smell, yes?" The little green man said proudly.

"It's coming from him!" Lisa said in shock. "And he thinks he smells good!?"

"You'll get used to it." Cornelia said. "Passlings have their own sense of what good hygiene is. To them baths are something that must be avoided at all costs." Becky looked into Blunk's huge yellow eyes and gasped in shock.

"You were the thing I saw in the dumpster!" She cried out.

"Blunk find lots of good treasure on Earth! Me go there all the time!"

"Treasure?" Sarah said in a inquisitive tone. She and the others had gotten over their initial surprise of Blunk's unique odor and had grown curious about their new friend.

"Blunk collects junk from dumpsters around the Silver Dragon and our homes and sells it as treasure on Meridian." Taranee said.

"Uh, Meridian?" Lisa asked. Will shook her head, realizing it could take all night to explain things to the girls.

"Meridian is where Blunk, Caleb, and Elyon are from." Becky's eyes bugged out and she stared at Elyon and Caleb like she was seeing them for the first time.

"You mean you two are aliens!?" She cried out.

"Well, not in the sense you're thinking Becky." Elyon said. "Yes, we come from another world, but we're human just like the rest of you."

"Except for the fact that you're the magically all powerful queen of Meridian and Caleb is your general." Irma said with a smirk. The girl's jaws dropped, they were about to speak when Elyon raised her hands to stop them.

"Before you five say anything let me make two things perfectly clear. One, I don't want you treating me any differently just because I'm a queen. I hate that. Besides, you're Guardians, which means you're part of the family now. And two, don't use the words 'your majesty' with me. It's hard enough getting Caleb here to call me by my first name, even though he's like a brother to me. I don't want to have to break you girls of that habit as well."

"Okay, I think we get the idea Elyon." Becky said with a smile.

"Good, that's just what I wanted to hear." Elyon said back.

"Okay, I hate to interrupt the Q and A session." Will said. "I know you must have a million questions, but there are things we need to discuss. The first being your powers. I'm sure you've figured it out already, but each of you has control over a different element." The girls gave Will their full attention. While it was true they understood a little about their newfound abilities they were eager to learn more. Will turned to face each of the girls as she spoke.

"Amy, you're the Water Guardian. Not only can you create powerful blasts of water, but move water that is already around you as well. Then there is your secondary power." Amy looked at Will in surprise.

"You mean I have other abilities?" She asked.

"Yep, yours is a mild form of mind control." Will said. Seeing the excited look on Amy's face Irma spoke up.

"Before you get to excited it doesn't work all that well. You can get people to do what you want, but you have to be specific with it or things may backfire on you."

"More importantly, you aren't supposed to use it for personal gain." Will shot Irma an annoyed look as she spoke. "Moving on, Trista, you're the Fire Guardian. Your powers should be self explanatory." Trista nodded in agreement. "You also have telepathic powers. You can read minds, but it's limited to your fellow Guardians and people with exceptionally strong magic like Elyon. You can also send your thoughts telepathically."

"Wow, that sounds cool." Trista said.

"It is." Said Taranee. "But it can get annoying until you learn to turn it off. Until you do you're not going to be getting a good nights sleep." The smile on Trista's face quickly disappeared when she understood what Taranee meant.

"Sarah, you are the Earth Guardian. As you saw earlier you can make plants do what you want. You can also cause earthquakes and move dirt and rocks. You have telekinesis as well."

"You mean I can move stuff with my mind!? Excellent!" Sarah shouted happily.

"Just make sure you don't smack yourself in the head when you first use it like I did." Cornelia said with a laugh.

"Lisa, you're the Air Guardian. You make gusts of wind and tornadoes, you can also hear stuff from far away." Becky suddenly remembered Hay Lin overhearing her conversation with Caleb, even though they had been across the room. "For you're secondary power you can turn invisible."

"Cool! I've always wanted to be able to vanish into thin air!" Lisa said.

"It does come in handy. Just don't let your mind wander or your going to disappear at the worst moments. I should know!" Hay Lin giggled at her own remark.

"And what about me mom?" Asked Becky.

"Like I mentioned earlier you're the Keeper of the Heart. You can shoot lighting bolts and you have the power of quintessence. Which basically means you can animate inanimate objects. Also, don't be surprised if anything with an electrical current starts talking to you."

"Ah man, why can't I be the one who gets to talk to computers!?" Amy whined.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to talk to them also. But you'll be the only ones who can hear them, so be careful or people are going to think you've lost your mind." Will chose her next words carefully. She knew that Becky was going to have a tough time dealing with the next part. "There's one more thing that comes with being Keeper."

"What's that?" Becky was suddenly a little wary. There was something in Will's voice she didn't like.

"As the Keeper you're the leader of the team." Becky felt as if Will had just dropped a piano on her head. She started to back up and shake her head in disbelief.

"Excuse me!? That can't be right! There has to be some mistake! I'm no leader!" This was exactly the response Will had feared and expected. Becky's confidence had been getting better, but it still wasn't all that great. If she didn't handle this right all he progress her daughter had made could be shattered.

"I know how you feel honey. I had the same doubts as you when I found out I was the leader. But you wouldn't of been chosen if you weren't up to the task. I know you have it in you." Becky remained unconvinced. She grasped her head in frustration and shook it furiously.

"I can't do this! One of the others must be better suited for the job!" A hand gently touched her shoulder, silencing her and calming her down. She turned her head to see Lisa's smiling face.

"You're the perfect one to lead us Becky." She said gently.

"How do you figure?" Becky said skeptically.

"Easy, there were several times tonight when you proved you were more then capable of being the leader. When we were all freaking out about our dreams not only did you remain calm, but you took charge. You immediately came up with a plan of action, namely going to talk to your mom about it. You saved my life when you recognized the treat from that first lizard man. And when we were surrounded you were the one who rallied us to stand up and fight."

"But that was…. I just…" Becky struggled to come up with a argument against her being in charge, didn't they understand she would just end getting them all killed? When she couldn't find a good reason she turned to the rest of her friends. "Trista, you agree with me, right?"

"I'm with Lisa on this on this one Becks." Becky groaned in frustration.

"Amy, Sarah, please talk some sense into these two!"

"Sorry Becky, I agree with Lisa. I think you'll make a great leader for us." Sarah said.

"Look Becky, we trust and believe in you." Amy said gently. "You just have to trust in yourself." Becky hung her head in resignation.

"Okay, I give. I'm the leader. I'll do my best to not to let you all down." She said in a somewhat defeated tone. Will wrapped her arms around her daughter and mouthed the words 'thank you' to Lisa who nodded her head slightly.

"Right, now that we have that settled there are other things we need to discuss." Will said as she let Becky go.

"Yes, I understand that there was some trouble on Earth tonight." The Oracle said.

"You could say that." Trista said sarcastically. "A pack of overgrown geckos tried to turn us into hamburger." Will saw the puzzled look on the Oracle's face and quickly explained.

"The girls were attacked by large group of lizard men." She said. "If I hadn't gotten to them with the Heart when I did…" Will trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"Can you describe their appearance?" Asked the Oracle.

"They were green in color, they wore dark cloaks and were armed with swords and knives." Will said. She stopped to consider what else to say when Becky had a sudden thought. She bit her lip, unsure if she should speak or not.

"Do not be afraid to speak Guardian Becky." The Oracle smiled encouragingly at her.

"Well, it seemed to me that they knew what they were doing." Becky said nervously, it seemed like everyone was staring at her.

"What do you mean?" Asked Yan Lin.

"They controlled which way we went while were trying to run away. They herded us to a secluded area where it would be unlikely were they would be seen." Becky said. "I mean, it just seemed like they were thinking ahead. I don't know, I guess I'm not making much sense."

"Not at all, I believe I get what you're trying to say. Your attackers acted with purpose and forethought. They were coordinated in their actions. Which suggests they have training." The Oracle said with a nod of his head.

"Does that help?" Asked Taranee.

"Indeed it does." The Oracle answered. Will gave Becky a thumbs up for making the connection. "I believe I know who tried to attack our new Guardians."

"Who?" Asked Cornelia.

"Shoran mercenaries." Said the Oracle gravely.

"Oracle are you sure!?" Halinor said in alarm. The Oracle simply nodded.

"Who are they?" Asked Becky.

"The Shoran are a race who sell their military services to anyone willing to pay them. They have no morals at all, so they're usually in the employ of some less then savory individuals." The Oracle explained.

"So the were hired to kill us?" Asked Sarah.

"That that would be the most likely explanation. They don't act unless they are being paid to do so." Said Halinor. "But that doesn't tell us much."

"But why us?" Asked Lisa.

"Obviously someone didn't want you to become Guardians. They must see you as a threat to their plans. But at this point we have no way of knowing who they are or even where they are." The Oracle said.

"So, what? We're doomed to be looking over our shoulders until they find a way to take us out?" Trista said. Luba sighed in exasperation.

"Oracle, why do you insist on using immature children as Guardians?" She asked.

"Hey! The five of us may only be fourteen, but that's no reason to insult us!" Amy yelled angrily. Luba opened her mouth to speak, but the Oracle gently put a restraining hand on her shoulder, stopping her from making the situation worse.

"Luba my friend, you know perfectly well that it isn't entirely up to me. I feel the Aurameres have made a wise decision in choosing these young ladies. I remember you having similar doubts about Will and her friends, and they proved to be more then capable." Luba didn't respond to the Oracle's words, instead she just folded her arms across her chest, turned her head away and choose to remain silent. "You'll have to forgive Luba, she is the keeper of the Aurameres and takes her duties very seriously. She has difficulty dealing with people, and while she may admit it out loud, I can tell she is just as pleased to meet you as the rest of us are." Luba just shook her head in annoyance.

"So what do we do about these Shoran guys then." Becky asked in an attempt to get things back on track.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do right now. Each group of mercenaries works as an independent cell, so going to their home world would be useless, their compatriots would never tell us anything even if they did know. And we have no way to track them, so we must wait for them to reappear." The Oracle said.

"Great." mumbled Amy. The others seemed just as unhappy as her.

"I know it's hard to hear girls, but there is nothing you could you do but wait." Said Will. "So now I think it's time to give you girls some practice with your powers." The girls perked up at the notion of using their abilities again.

"An excellent idea Will. Why don't we move to the garden for their training." The Oracle said as he stood up. The rest of the council began to rise as well.

"You girls don't mind if we come and watch, do you?" Asked Halinor. Becky looked at her friends who just shrugged.

"It's alright with us. Just remember we're still new at this." She said. As they walked through the halls Becky couldn't help but ask some of the questions that had been building up all night. "Now this is only a guess, but I figure that Earth's population is clueless to the whole multiple universe thing."

"Yeah, and it's important that it stays that way. Earth just isn't ready for the truth." Will said. "You've got to do your best to make sure no one finds out about you."

"I bet that's easier said then done." Sarah said.

"You can say that again." Irma said with a laugh. "I can't count the number of close calls we had."

"So do your families know anything?" Asked Lisa. Will shared a look with her friends.

"Well, as you saw my sister knows about everything." Cornelia said with a shake of her head. "Our parents know as well. How that happened is kind of a story in of itself."

"I told my husband Nigel about everything, I couldn't keep it from him. But I haven't told my family. I don't think they could handle it." Taranee said.

"My parents don't know either." Hay Lin said with a giggle. "My husband Eric knows though. It's kind of funny how he found out to. It was a few days before our wedding and we were all going out for my bachelorette party. We were all down in the basement waiting for Elyon to show up. Just as she opened the fold he walks down the stairs and sees her step out. He was surprised to say the least. He took it really well though. In fact Meridian is our favorite vacation spot now, he loves it there."

"I've thought about telling my folks." Irma said. "I'm afraid they would freak out and my dad would lock me up for letting illegal aliens into the country." Everyone just groaned at her joke.

"What about your husband?" Amy asked.

"Hunh? Oh, I'm not married." Irma said.

"Boyfriend?"

"Haven't had one of those in a long time." All of a sudden Becky realized that she had never seen Will with a boyfriend, which struck her as being very strange. Will was a very pretty woman, so why wasn't she with anyone? Becky had to know, but decided to approach it the subject carefully.

"And what about you mom?"

"Oh me? Well, it's not like I haven't thought about telling my mom, I've just never been able to find a way to explain it to her."

"What about your boyfriend?" Becky asked. She instantly regretted it. Will froze in her tracks and got a very angry look on her face. At first Becky thought Will was mad at her. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pry!"

"No, it's alright Becky. It's just not something I like to discuss." Irma put a hand on Will's shoulder and gave her a weak smile. Becky looked around and saw some rather upset looks on several faces. She had obviously said the wrong thing.

"Don't let it get to you Will. We all thought he was a good guy, none of us thought he would do that to you." Irma said.

"I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean to bring back bad memories for you." Becky said.

"It's fine, you didn't know. I guess I should explain. I had a boyfriend when I was your age named Matt. He accidentally found out about us being Guardians, and for the longest time he was a part of the team." Will got a sad, far away look in her eyes as she spoke. "He was the love of my life, until one day I went to surprise him with a present I had gotten him. I walked into his house and found him kissing another girl. I was devastated to say the least. He tried to apologize, but I wouldn't hear it. I never spoke to him again." A single tear rolled down Will's cheek, making Becky feel terrible for bringing the subject up.

"Okay, enough about that jerk. We've got some new Guardians to train." Irma said. Will nodded and they continued on to the garden. When Becky had heard the word garden she had been expecting a large patch of grass and maybe a couple of scraggly trees. What she got was a huge area of land filled with rolling hills, gigantic trees, and a stream that bubbled up from a pile of rocks and flowed down into a good sized pool of water.

"Wow, this place just gets cooler by the second." Amy said in awe. The Oracle smiled but didn't say anything. He waved his hand and at various points around the garden wooden target dummies popped out of the ground.

"I think you'll find these well suited to your needs." He said. The council moved over to a set of stone benches to watch the show.

"So Will, are you five going to join the rest of us old timers over here or what?" Yan Lin said playfully.

"Hey! We're only twenty-six! Old doesn't apply to us yet!" Cornelia said indignantly.

"I think we'll be fine, and I'm sure the girls could use some pointers." Will said. Cornelia was still fuming about being called old while Caleb was doing his best to calm her down. Irma and Hay Lin were making jokes at her expense, asking if she needed glasses or a wheelchair. Taranee just stood there shaking her head. Will couldn't help but smile, it was just like old times.

"Hold on, when she says old timers, who is she talking about?" Asked Amy.

"Yan Lin, Halinor and Cassidy were all Guardians before us." Explained Taranee. The girls got some very confused looks on their faces.

"Uhhh, come again. Cassidy is no where near their age." Trista said. Cassidy giggled and leaned in to talk to her two friends.

"Oh boy, that's a rather long and complicated story. I think we should save that for another time." Will said.

"Ahh, come on! Can't you give us the short version?" Lisa said. Will was about to say no when Irma got a evil grin on her face.

"Okay, here's the quickie version, try and keep up. You see the Keeper of the Heart of their generation, Nerissa, had the Heart taken away from her because she got greedy for it's power and it was given to Cassidy. Well, Nerissa didn't like that too much, so she asked Cassidy to give it back. When she said no Nerissa killed her." Irma paused to take in the shocked looks on the girls faces. Satisfied she had freaked them out she continued. "Well, Nerissa got locked up in a mountain by the council, but she broke out. She then went into hiding, using her powers to disguise herself. After earning Elyon's trust she stole her powers and trapped her in a gem. She then used her new found power to raise Cassidy's ghost. Once she had managed to enslave the rest of the former Guardians she restored their powers and Cassidy got a new body. After we beat her, in a manner of speaking, Cassidy got to remain alive." The girls could only stand there in shock, Amy's mouth kept working without speaking. Irma began laughing her head off at their reaction.

"See why I wanted to wait to give you the full story?" Will said. She shot Irma an annoyed glance to which the brunette responded to by just shrugging. Will let it go and turned her attention to the girls. "Alright, no more questions for now. I promise we'll fill you in on everything later, so let's go ahead and see what you girls can do."

"Let's kick some wooden dummy butt." Becky said in a semi-shaky voice.

"You heard the boss lady, time to do our thing." Trista said to the others who nodded. Sarah started the festivities by taking control of a nearby tree. The bespectacled Earth Guardian waved her arms and a thick branch whipped through the air and smashed a trio of targets into splinters. Sarah cried in triumph, but lost control of the branch and nearly crushed Amy.

"Oops…" She muttered in embarrassment.

"You've got to keep your focus Sarah." Cornelia said. "The plants you take control of can run wild if you're not careful."

"Let me try now!" Lisa said excitedly. She extended her arms and whipped up a small whirlwind which she directed towards a line of targets. She was expecting to destroy them, but instead they got picked up and flung into the air. Several of the council members yelled and ducked for cover as the airborne dummies flew in their direction. Lillian thrust her arm out and destroyed them with a magical energy blast. Lisa cringed at her blunder.

"Excellent shot Lillian." The Oracle said. The council members retook their seats while Blunk cautiously crawled out from under one of the benches.

"You don't have the same destructive potential as the others." Hay Lin said in between giggles. "You get to throw stuff around mostly, though there are a few tricks I can show you that'll get you the desired results."

"Me next! Me next!" Amy cried out. "Okay, I've been thinking about this and for all intense purposes we're magical girls. So we need to come up attack phrases." Trista groaned at the idea.

"This is one of your anime things isn't it?" She asked.

"Yeah? So what? It'll be cool! Watch!" Amy turned and aimed at a lone dummy. "Aqua Shot!" A bolt of water shot out of her hand and smashed the dummy. "Oh yeah! I rule!" Amy stuck her arms triumphantly into the air. The motion grabbed water from the stream and pulled it towards her and soaked her from head to toe. She blew a dripping strand of her bright red hair out of her face as the others laughed.

"What do you call that Amy!? Washout Wave!?" Trista called mockingly.

"You'll find it's really easy to grab water that's around you. You've got to pay attention to how much you're drawing or you'll end up all wet." Irma said.

"Guess I'll go next." Trista said. She created a ball of fire in the palm of her hand and flung it at one of the targets. Like in the fight with the Shoran it came close, but it didn't hit the mark. Trista growled and tried again, but again she missed. She became frustrated and started throwing fireballs one after another in rapid succession. She became so anger locked she didn't notice she had set the grass on fire.

"Trista! Cut it out before you burn the whole place down!" Becky cried out in alarm. Amy fired off a burst of water and put out the flames before they could spread. Trista groaned at the sight of the charred patch of grass.

"Uh, sorry about that. Didn't meant to wreak the lawn." She said with an embarrassed grin. "I, uh, hope it doesn't take to long to fix."

"Do not concern yourself, I can fix the damage easily." The Oracle waved his hand and the grass instantly re-grew, erasing all evidence of the burnt ground beneath it.

"Fireballs have a tendency to fly off course when you throw them like that. Try keeping your arms still when you shoot." Taranee said.

"Well, that just leaves me." Becky said quietly. She stepped forward and raised her arms. She shot a bolt off and left a black scorch mark on a target dummy. She fired again and got the same result. A third attempt produced a third hit.

"Hey, check out deadeye here!" Trista called out in an impressed tone. "Becks is putting us to shame here, she's a total natural!"

"Very good honey!" Will said. "Now remember, you can shoot individual bolts or fire several off at once to cover a wide area." Becky tried it out and fried a cluster of targets near the pond.

"Dang, looks like our girl here has got this Guardian thing down pat." Amy said.

"Okay, now that you've had a chance to try your powers individually I think you should work on using your powers as a team as fighting from the air." Will said. The girls did as they were asked and started trying to use their abilities in conjunction with one another. After a shaky start marked by Trista and Amy accidentally canceling each others attacks and creating a burning cloud of steam. They soon got the hang of things and started discovering various combinations of their powers much to everyone else's delight. Amy was still giving names to her attacks until Will pointed out that while it was cool in the cartoons telling your enemies what you were going to do wasn't the brightest of ideas. Amy blushed and gave up the attack name idea in a hurry. They then moved on to aerial maneuvers. Again things didn't go that great, but after some trial and error they were soon destroying the dummies from the air. At one point Becky plopped down near the pond to catch her breath. She watched her friends as the continued their mid-air practice. She found her gaze drawn to Lisa. The blonde haired Air Guardian was proving to be very graceful in flight. Becky absently wondered if it had to do with either her gymnastic talents or her powers. Maybe it was some combination of both. Whatever it was it was a pure joy to watch her in action. Lisa spun and twirled through the air as if she was dancing.

As Lisa did a series of loops Becky's mind turned to the nights events. So much had changed in a very short amount of time. In truth she still hadn't gotten her head around everything yet, there was so much to try and sort through. She was still scared about being the leader and she probably would be for some time to come. Her biggest fear was that a mistake on her part would get one of the others hurt or even worse, killed. She didn't think she could live with herself if that happened. So it was right then she silently vowed that no matter what, none of her friends would get hurt because of her, she would die first before that happened.

"Hey! What kind of leader sits on her butt while her teammates are training!?" Lisa called out playfully. "Get back up here before I pick you up in a tornado and put you through the spin cycle!" Becky laughed and took off once again to join her fellow Guardians.

**And it is here that I stop. I'll do my best to get chapter ten out quicker. This was a long winded chapter, I know, the longest yet in fact. I don't think there will be that many as long as this one. There was a lot else I wanted to put in, but I felt it was long enough as it was and the elements I excluded wouldn't of really added much anyways.**

**Next chapter sees the return of the evil cheerleader Stacey! I'll also be introducing a couple of new charecters! But who's side are they on!? That's for me to know and for you to find out! I'll see you then!**


	10. Chapter 10 Trickery

**Hello everyone! Shocklance here with chapter 10! I feel I must once agian apologize for taking so long to post an update. I was recently put in charge of my unloading crew at Wal-Mart. While it dosen't get me any more pay I have more responsibility now, and unfortantly my crew is a mess right now. I'm coming home every morning drained of energy. (I work from four in the afternoon until one in the morning.) So I've been rather slow on working on this chapter, which turned out much longer then I expected. It now holds the record as the longest chapter, fifteen and a half pages! **

**Well, enough about my problems, you guys don't want to hear about that. So on to the buisness end of things. I want to say thank you to XV-Dragon for adding to his thoughts about my story, welcome aboard. As always I ask for reviews, I love hearing what you all think about my story. Also, I'm going to put up a forum page for the story in a day or two. So if you're intrested in that drop by. Since I have nothing else let's get started with chapter 10 of B.L.A.S.T.!**

Chapter 10: Trickery

It was late and the last rays of sunlight were quickly fading away into the night. The throne room was dimly light by a pair of sputtering torches that did little to cut the encroaching gloom. All over the room there were pockets of darkness that could be hiding anything. It all combined to form a intimidating situation, which upon reflection was probably exactly what Kisarc's employer was going for. Well, it would take more then a scary atmosphere to intimidate him. All the same he watched the shadows for any sign of movement that might indicated an ambush. He had learned a long time ago that a unhappy client could vent his frustrations with more then words. The jagged scar running up the right side of his face was proof of that. He had survived the experience, and it had taught him to always be wary of those he worked for, and that he should always remain armed when meeting with his clients. Most people had second thoughts about betraying him when they got a look at the double bladed battleaxe strapped to his back.

"I am not pleased Kisarc. Your men failed in the task assigned to them. A task that should have been no trouble at all. I would of thought that the famed Shoran mercenaries could of easily of dealt with a handful of little girls." The man's voice remained even, but his displeasure was more then evident. Kisarc watched as his boss absently fingered the handle of his sword. It was obviously another tactic to frighten him, but Kisarc wasn't falling for it. He had seen the man in combat and he was sure he could take him in a fight if it came to that. It was generally considered bad for business to kill your employer, but Kisarc wouldn't hesitate to do it if he was betrayed by the man. For now, he had to be diplomatic, a necessity in his line of work, but not something he enjoyed.

"With all due respect my Lord, the information you provided left out important details." He said evenly.

"Such as?" The man leaned back into the ornate throne he was sitting on and regarded Kisarc critically.

"You never mentioned that these girls were the Guardians." Kisarc said with a bit of a growl.

"Would that of really made a difference?" Kisarc gave up on being diplomatic as his anger with his employer quickly grew to even higher levels.

"You know perfectly well that it would of! It was vital information and you kept it from us!" Kisarc pointed his finger at the man on the throne and continued his rant. "The contract you have with us clearly states that you must disclose all important details for any mission we undertake on your behalf! You conveniently failed to tell us that these 'little girls' as you call them were the Guardians or that they had backup! Under these circumstances I would be well within my rights to cancel the contract you have with us and blacklist you with all Shoran mercenary groups!"

"But you aren't going to do that, are you?" The man said coolly. He absently ran a gloved hand through his thinning white hair. He shifted his weight and his thick black steel armor creaked with the movement. Kisarc grimaced and his sharp lizard teeth shinned in the dull torchlight. He didn't like how casual the man was acting. His internal alarms were going off, but he couldn't tell what his instincts were trying to tell him. Even though he couldn't find an immediate threat his wariness went up two levels. Whatever else Kisarc could say about his boss, there was no denying he was a cool customer. All through this entire meeting his face hadn't so much as twitched.

"For the time being, no." Kisarc said slowly. "But do not think I won't if this happens again. Do not forget you need us still. Your hold on this world is delicate, at best." The man got a slight smile on his face, which actually unnerved Kisarc, something that rarely happened.

"So you say. Well, I do apologize for not telling you the girls were the Guardians, I had hoped you would be able to eliminate them before they gained their powers. As for those that came to their aid, I was just as unaware of them as you were." He was smooth, but Kisarc didn't buy it for a second.

"So do want us to try again?" Kisarc asked.

"No, they and Kandrakar will undoubtedly be on alert. To attack again so soon would certainly stir them up, and we don't want to agitate them. For now we let them grow complacent. But do not worry, you and your men will have another chance to eliminate them, and soon." Kisarc didn't bother to respond. "So now that we have cleared the air on that subject there are other things I want to discuss with you. First, how goes the hunt for the remnants of the king's army?"

"Smoothly for the time being. Between my patrols and your own men we should have most pockets of resistance eliminated in a couple of weeks."

"Very good, and the missing members of the royal family?"

"We haven't found any trace of them yet, but I feel that will change as we remove any sources of help." A sudden thought crossed Kisarc's mind. "Are we sure they have not fled the planet?"

"My sources assure me that they have not." The man snapped his fingers and a pair of people stepped out from behind the throne. Kisarc frowned at the sight. One leaned on a gnarled staff topped with a blood red crystal. He was dressed in dark red robes adorned with runes written in gold thread. A crooked smile crossed his withered face. This was Pelth, one of his employer's lieutenants. The old man was a powerful sorcerer, and in Kisarc's opinion, slightly mad. The other was a young woman from this world who had helped in the invasion. She wore a white cloak with the hood up, covering up most of her blue hair. Kisarc couldn't recall the girl's name, and he didn't really care to know it. She was apparently some kind of fortune teller or something of the sort. There was a sad look in her dark green eyes, she was probably regretting betraying her people.

"It is true my Lord. I have not detected any spells that would let the fugitives to leave this world." Pelth said with a cackle.

"What say you Celia?" The man asked the blue haired girl.

"I have not seen them departing from this dimension, they yet remain. They are firm in their goal of taking back their birthright. Beyond that I know nothing." Celia said in a soulless voice, it was as Kisarc thought. He had seen it before, the guilt of a traitor was unmistakable.

"How does your search for the item go Pelth?" Asked the man.

"So far I have found no mention of it in the royal archives. Also, the 'interviews' with the residents of this realm have produced no clues." Kisarc knew those interviews were nothing more then thinly veiled torture sessions. While he wasn't bothered by the notion of innocent people being brutalized for information he saw no need to play with words. "I suspect that what we seek is known by another name here. I'm now expanding my search to find local legends that might describe it."

"Do you still want us to take the royals alive when they are found?" Asked Kisarc.

"Yes, if Pelth cannot find what we are after they may be the only ones who know where it is."

"Very well. If there is nothing else I need to confer with my men." The man waved his arm which the lizard man took as a dismissal. He turned and walked out as casually as possible. The man wasn't the only one who could show he was unafraid. As he exited he found his friend and second in command waiting for him just beyond the entranceway. Kisarc wasn't surprised to see him wearing his sword and long knife.

"I take it you heard everything Friv?" Asked Kisarc.

"Yes, and I must apologize again for failing to complete the mission." Said Friv. He had been the one to lead the attack on Becky and her friends.

"I wasn't your fault. We were kept in the dark about who these girls were." Kisarc motioned for Friv to follow who quickly feel into step beside his Captain. "I would of done the same thing."

"What do you think the old man is up to?" Asked Friv.

"I don't know. He won't say anything about this mysterious object he is looking for. I don't like it, and now he sends us after Guardians without telling us." Kisarc said.

"Do you think he means to try and double-cross us?" Asked Friv.

"I don't know, but spread the word among the men to be ready for the possibility. If he does try anything I want our people to be ready." Friv just nodded. "For now, let us decide on a plan of attack against the Guardians. I have a feeling our next chance at them will come sooner then we think."

A little more then a week had passed since Becky and her friends had discovered they were Guardians. At first Becky thought that learning the truth about the universe would change everything, but she soon learned that this wasn't the case. She still went to school and hung out with her four friends. The only thing that was really different was that the five them were a little more cautious, but so far the Shoran hadn't made another appearance. They had spent the last few days hanging out in the basement of the Silver Dragon, which was supposedly their headquarters now, and learning about the past adventures of Will and her friends. They had all been dazzled by the tales of fighting Phobos and Nerissa, two very nasty costumers in Becky's option.

"Man, this sucks." Trista commented one morning before school. "I thought being a Guardian would mean we would get to kick some evil monster butt. But instead we're just sitting on our hands waiting for those rejects from the reptile house to show up!"

"It's like the Oracle said. There's nothing we can do until they come back." Becky said with a shrug.

"Are we sure they're going to try again? I mean, we did give them a ass whipping the other night." Amy said.

"I doubt they'll give up that easily. They were hired to kill us remember? They'll want to collect their pay." Sarah said in a thoughtful voice.

"It's the waiting that's killing me." Lisa said in an annoyed tone. The others agreed with her wholeheartedly on that point. As they walked through the main gates of the school the conversation turned to more normal topics.

"The Valentine's day dance is this Friday, any of you guys have a date?" Asked Amy. The others all shook their head no. "Yeah, me neither." Becky had forgotten that Valentine's day was coming up, which was understandable considering that they had more pressing matters on their hands. For days the school had been abuzz with talk of who was going with who to the dance. Becky hadn't really given a thought about going to the event. It wasn't like anyone was going ask her to go. Already people were receiving valentines that had been slipped into their lockers. Becky would walk through the halls and see girls going crazy over the love notes that had been given to them. Becky felt a little left out until the others told her that they hadn't gotten any either. Though she wondered if they were just lying to make her feel better. Becky couldn't believe that Lisa hadn't gotten any yet. The young gymnast was one of the prettiest girls in school. Her curly blonde locks, the freckles under her sapphire blue eyes made her a very attractive girl. If there was one person Becky would want to get a valentine from it would be Lisa.

Becky screamed furiously at herself in her mind. She was growing more and more concerned over these thoughts she had about Lisa. It was becoming impossible to ignore them anymore. She was afraid to talk to anyone about them, she was too scared to. She had come to realize that Lisa meant something more to her then just being a friend. But what that something was she just couldn't say. In a panic she looked towards Trista, but the young Fire Guardian showed no sign she had read Becky's mind. Becky mentally berated herself for not keeping her thoughts in check in front of Trista. Until she could get a grip on what was going on she didn't want anyone to know about her feelings.

"Why don't we just go as a group then?" Said Lisa. "It'd be a shame to miss all the fun just because we don't have dates." A shrill laugh pierced the air from behind the girls after Lisa finished speaking. They turned around and found Stacey standing behind them laughing. She was flanked by two other girls. One had dark red hair that went to her shoulders. Like Stacey she wore a cheerleading uniform. Her blue-green eyes were focused on the girls as she gave them a cold stare.

The other was slightly shorter then the other two girls. Her round face was framed by long light brown hair. She wore glasses with rectangular lenses. She was wearing a loose fitting grey sweatshirt and a knee length skirt. In her hands she clasped a laptop computer. Instead of looking at Becky and the others she kept her brown eyes focused on the ground in front of her feet.

"Oh please, what would be the point of you five going to the dance?" Stacey said with a sneer. "All you'd do would do is stand in the corner all night hoping someone will ask you to dance. Which defiantly won't happen if you have little miss street rat here with you."

"You tell them Stacey." The redhead said with a laugh. The brown haired girl just stood there shuffling her feet.

"No one asked for your opinion Stacey!" Trista shouted out.

"Well you should of. I'm the most popular girl in school. I must of gotten over a hundred love notes already. How many have you losers gotten?"

"According to my sources not a single one." The red head said triumphantly.

"See what I mean. Why even bother going?" Stacey asked.

"Because we want to!" Trista screamed.

"Yeah! We have just as much right to go as you!" Sarah said angrily.

"Whatever. If you guys want to known as dateless wonders, be my guest. But remembered I tried to warn you." Stacey said with a shrug.

"Um, Stacey? We need to get going. I have that report you wanted in my locker." The brown haired girl said meekly.

"Fine, lets go." Stacey and her entourage started to walk past the girls. As she passed Stacey stopped and looked Becky in the eye. "You are such a pathetic loser Vandom. I'm going to make sure everyone knows it too." Stacey started laughing and walked off. Both Amy and Sarah had to restrain Trista from pouncing on the spiteful cheerleader and beating her to a bloody pulp. Becky just stood there in shock and disbelief.

"Let me go! I've had it with that stuck up bitch! I'm going to tear her apart!" Trista shouted as she struggled to break free. While Amy and Sarah worked to calm Trista down Lisa went to comfort Becky.

"Don't let her get to you Becky." Lisa said in a gentle tone.

"Why is she so mean to me? What did I ever do to her?" Becky asked. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

"She probably doesn't have a reason, at least not one she can explain. Stacey is just one of those people who gets off on making others miserable. If you fail to meet her ridiculous standards in any way you become a target. The more you fall below those standards the worse she treats you." Lisa explained. "But that doesn't mean she's right. Don't pay attention to her, it just gives her the power."

"You know, you're right. Thanks Lisa." Becky said with a nod.

"Anytime." Lisa replied with a smile.

"By the way, who were those two with Stacey?" Becky asked.

"Oh that's right, you don't know them." Amy said. "Well, the red head is Connie Williams. She's Stacey's best friend. She's just as mean as Stacey and her favorite pastime is spreading nasty rumors about people. She doesn't care if they're true or not which makes it even worse."

"What about the other girl, the one with the computer. She didn't seem like the type of person Stacey would hang out with." Becky said.

"That's Jenny Avings." Sarah said with a sigh. "Stacey keeps her around to do her homework. Jenny puts up with all kinds of abuse from that witch." It seemed to Becky that Sarah took Stacey's mistreatment of Jenny personally.

"She's obviously smart. Why does she let Stacey treat her like that?" Becky asked.

"Best guess is because she gets to be around the popular crowd. Plus, she gets protected in a way. Most of the people that would normally pick on her leave her alone because they know she hangs around Stacey." Lisa said. "We've tried to befriend her before, but she's always resisted. I think she knows that Stacey isn't really her friend, but she's to afraid to break away from her."

"There has to be more to it then that." Becky said.

"Probably." Trista said with a shrug.

"So what do you guys want to do after school?" Asked Sarah. "I think we need to do something to unwind."

"I hear that." Trista said. "Why don't we go for a swim? We haven't done that in awhile."

"Uh, swimming in the middle of February? Isn't it a little cold for that?" Asked Becky.

"There's a indoor pool in town we like to go to." Explained Lisa. "It won't be that crowded at this time of year either, so we'll probably have the whole palace to ourselves."

"Sounds fun, but I don't have a swimsuit." Becky said.

"No problem, the mall is on the way there. We'll stop on the way and get you one. We should be able to get one cheap too." Amy said. The girls split up to go to their various classes once they arrived at the main entrance of the school. Becky walked in silence towards her classroom. She was thinking about some conflicting feelings about going to the pool with her friends. On one hand she was a little nervous about being seen in a swimsuit. She just wasn't that confidant about her looks. On the other hand she was kind of excited by the idea of seeing Lisa in her bathing suit. Becky started shaking her head violently, trying to banish the confusing thoughts from her mind. What was wrong with her? She shouldn't be having these kind of thoughts about her friend. These feelings she was having towards Lisa were really beginning to frighten her.

"Hey, how you doing cutie pie?" Becky turned towards the unfamiliar voice and saw a blonde haired, blue eyed muscle bound guy looking at her. Becky stared at him for a minute, trying to place where she had seen him before. "Can't talk huh? I'm not surprised, it's probably not everyday that a stud like myself talks to you." Becky rolled her eyes, it suddenly hit her who she was talking to.

"You're Chad Exiter, the quarterback of the football team right?" She instantly knew she was right. She had seen him wandering around the school before, groups of girls pointing and sighing as he walked past.

"I see my reputation proceeds me. When you're as awesome as me everyone knows your name." Becky groaned. This guy was obviously full of himself. Her first impression was proved when Chad pulled out a pocket comb and mirror and started grooming himself. Becky just shook her head, but if Chad noticed he didn't say anything.

"So, uh, Chad. What can I do for you?" Becky asked. She hoped that whatever he wanted it would be quick, she didn't want to be late for class. Besides, he was beginning to annoy her.

"Do I need a reason to speak to a hottie like yourself?" Becky felt herself go a little red at Chad's words. "I'm looking for a date to the dance, you interested?"

"W…What? Are you serious? I…I don't know." Becky stammered out.

"Well think about it, but don't make me wait to long. I'll check back with you tomorrow. See you later babe." With that Chad walked off. Becky shook her head and headed for her class. She was feeling very confused at the moment. She couldn't figure out why she the only feelings she had when it came to Chad was annoyance and boredom. Admittedly she had been a little embarrassed when he had called her a hottie, but otherwise there was absolutely no feeling of attraction towards the large jock. She supposed she should be flattered by his advances, but she wasn't in the least. She just wished it had been Lisa who had said she was attractive. Becky froze in place as the thought crossed her mind. What was wrong with her? Before she could dwell on it further the warning bell sounded and she was forced to dash off to her classroom.

Becky had a hard time concentrating in class all day. There was just to much to think about. Chad asking her to the dance, her unusual feelings for Lisa, and most importantly what to do when the Shoran finally showed up again to try and kill her and her friends. Becky didn't say anything about Chad at lunch, doing so would be a risk because she might have to reveal her strange feelings for Lisa.

"So you ready to hit the pool?" Asked Amy after school was out for the day.

"Hunh? Oh, yeah. I already called my mom and she said it was okay." Becky had almost forgotten about their plans to go for a swim. They went to their homes to get everyone's swimsuits and then went to the mall to get Becky a bathing suit.

"Here we go!" Amy said. She held up a green bikini on a hanger. Becky turned bright red at the thought of wearing it.

"I don't think I can wear something like that."

"Of course you can, there's no reason to be embarrassed. Besides, it's the only suit they have that will fit you." Sarah said.

"Alright, alright." Becky said. She took the bikini to the register and after paying they headed for the pool. Becky was slow in getting changed, as she was nervous about wearing her new swimsuit in public. She left the locker room and found the girls waiting for her just outside the door. Amy was wearing a purple bikini with a white floral print. Sarah was in a red one-piece with a blue diagonal stripe. Trista was in a black two-piece that matched her hair. But it was Lisa that Becky found her eyes drawn to. The blonde haired Air Guardian was wearing a light blue bikini that seemed to make her glow. Becky quickly broke her gaze away before anyone noticed. She unconsciously wrapped herself in her arms in a attempt to cover herself up.

"You look great Becky, there's no reason to hide." Amy said. Trista got a wicked grin on her face and sunk up behind Becky and shoved her into the pool. Becky came back up from under the surface spitting water out of her mouth. The others were giggling furiously at the prank.

"Oh, you are so dead!" Becky cried out in playful indignation. She whipped her arm forward and sprayed her friends with water. The girls gasped in shock, looked at each other and jumped into the pool. Within seconds the five of them were engaged in a furious water fight, laughing and screaming merrily. After several minutes they retreated to the side of the pool to catch their breath.

"That was fun." Becky said in between gasps of air. "We need to do this more often." Becky leaned back and let herself relax in the warm pool water. "I feel like all my cares could just melt away."

"I know what you mean." Lisa said. "After a bad day or a particularly hard afternoon of practice I come her to unwind." After about an hour or so the girls decided to leave before it got too cold out. After saying goodbye to her friends Becky headed home, trying to clear her head of her jumbled thoughts. But try as she might she couldn't. There was just to much going on at once. She decided that all she could do was handle things one at a time and hopefully her head would clear on it's own.

The next day started out normally enough for Becky. After walking to school with the girls she headed for her first class. Becky was watching for Chad, but he didn't seem to be around. Becky figured he had forgotten about her, which was just as well, because she had decided to turn him down anyways. She just didn't feel anything towards him. She knew Chad would be shocked at her rejection, he was probably used to having girls fawning all over him. He had probably moved on to some other girl by now who would be more then willing to be his latest plaything. At noon Becky and Amy were heading for the cafeteria to meet the others for lunch. As they walked down the hall Becky noticed that several people were looking at her kind of funny.

"Uh, is it just me or am I getting some rather nasty looks from people?" She said to Amy.

"It isn't just you. What did you do? Run over someone's dog?" Amy asked.

"I didn't do anything, at least nothing I know about." The closer they got to the lunchroom the dirtier the looks became. One girl even went as far to get in Becky's face and call her a 'whore'. "What was that all about!?"

"Okay, something is going on here. We better find the others and figure out what it is before the whole school decides to string you up by your neck!" Amy said in a worried tone. The two of them quickened their pace and rushed towards the lunchroom hoping to find out from their friends why everyone was so angry with Becky. They entered the cafeteria and found a large group of people gathered around someone standing on a table in the center of the room. After a moment they realized it was Stacey.

"What is this all about?" Amy asked in a confused voice. They couldn't understand what she was saying from they were so they moved closer. From her elevated position Stacey spotted them approaching.

"There she is!" Stacey cried out to the gathered crowd. "There's the little bitch that's trying to steal my boyfriend!" Becky and Amy froze in place as Stacey pointed an accusatory finger at Becky. Everyone turned and stared at her. A lot of people had disgusted looks on their faces.

"What are you talking about!?" Becky asked in shock. She didn't even know Stacey had a boyfriend.

"Do you deny you talked to Chad yesterday!?" Stacey screeched out. The weight of the situation hit Becky like a ton of bricks. She just stood there speechless, not knowing what to do.

"Becky, let's get out of here." Amy whispered in her ear. She grabbed Becky's arm and dragged her away. As they left several people hurled insults at Becky. Upon leaving Lisa, Sarah, and Trista all came running up to them.

"I take it you heard." Sarah said when they saw the look on Becky's face. Becky just nodded. "Let's find someplace to talk where we won't be interrupted." The five of them headed outside a found a secluded spot underneath some trees where they wouldn't be easily spotted.

"We tried to get to you guys before you made it to the lunchroom, guess we were to late." Lisa said.

"It's all over the school. We ran into Connie, she was telling anyone who would listen that you were trying to steal Stacey's boyfriend." Trista said.

"But I didn't!" Becky cried out.

"We believe you, the problem is they have evidence." Sarah said.

"What evidence?" Asked Amy.

"Here." Sarah handed a picture over. Becky and Amy looked at it and gasped in shock. It showed Becky with her arm around Chad's shoulder and it looked like she was trying to pull him into a kiss. "See what I mean."

"What is this!?" Becky shouted. "This didn't happen! I swear! He came onto me! He asked me to go to the dance with him!"

"We believe you Becky! It's just going to hard to prove it happened the way you say it did." Sarah said in a pacifying tone.

"I don't understand where this picture came from. Those are the clothes I wore yesterday, but I never touched him. And I defiantly didn't look at him like that." Becky said. She was on the verge of tears.

"Let me look at that picture." Amy said. She held it up to her face, and started to squint at it.

"Why didn't you tell us about Chad? We would of warned you about him." Trista asked.

"I don't know! He just came out of left field! I was so surprised I wasn't sure what to do!" Becky said.

"Stacey must of put him up to this." Sarah said with a frown.

"But it doesn't explain where she got that picture from." Lisa said.

"Oh, I've got a pretty good idea." Amy said. She was still looking at the picture, her mouth forming an angry frown. "I need to analyze this picture, but if my hunch is right Stacey has a lot to answer for."

"What do you mean?" Asked Sarah.

"I don't want to say anything yet. I need to scan this into my computer and take a better look at it." Amy said.

"Keep it, it's not like there is any shortage of them. There must be hundreds of copies floating around the school by now." Trista said angrily. "So what do we do about this whole situation? I vote we drag Stacey into the bathroom, hang her upside down over a toilet and threaten to dunk her into the bowl unless she confesses to being a stuck-up elitist bitch." Trista's comment broke the tension, causing the others to start laughing. "I was being serious." The girls laughed even harder.

"Okay, okay. Admittedly your plan has a certain appeal to it, but I doubt everyone will change their minds if we torture the confession out of Stacey." Lisa said. "We're just going to have to wait for Amy to get us the proof we need."

"Where's the fun in that?" Trista mumbled out the side of her mouth.

"Until then I think we're going to have to stick close to you Becky." Said Lisa. "I don't think anyone will actually hurt you, but Stacey could stir everyone up and cause a lot of trouble."

"Don't worry Becks, we got your back." Trista said. Becky nodded in response. She was beginning to feel a little better about the situation. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong and so did her friends. The girls stayed in their hidden spot until lunch was over. For the rest of the day they stuck together in-between classes. People were still giving Becky dirty looks, but no one approached them and they didn't see any sign of Stacey or her cronies. After school was over they quickly left the building and headed to Becky and Will's apartment.

"What a day!" Becky declared as she flopped backwards onto her bed. "I hope you can find something in that picture Amy, I don't like the idea of having to dodge the entire school everyday!"

"Don't worry, give me a few hours to work my magic and I'll have the proof we need." Amy said. Becky was about to respond when a sense of dread passed to her from the Heart. She got up and went to look out the window.

"What's up Becks?" Asked Trista.

"I'm not sure, I sense… something out there." Becky said in a distracted tone. She looked down towards the street and saw a corner of a all to familiar cloak disappearing around the side of a building. "It's the Shoran! They're back!" At Becky's cry of alarm the others rushed to the window.

"Where!? I don't see anything!" Sarah said.

"There! Just across the street in the ally!" All the commotion caused Will to come into the room.

"What's going on?" She asked when she say the girls gathered around the window.

"It's the Shoran mom! I sensed something from the Heart and when I looked out the window I saw one of them disappearing around the corner of that building!"

"Quick! Show me the Heart!" Becky took the magic gem out from under her shirt and inside was the shadowy image of a Shoran.

"All right! Let's go kick some lizard butt!" Trista cried out. "I think we could all use a little stress relief right about now."

"Wait a sec! My folks are expecting me home for dinner!" Amy said in alarm. "How do I explain not being there!?"

"That's where astral drops come in." Will said. "You don't have much time so I'll try to be brief. An astral drop is a magic copy of a person. You use them when you have Guardian duties, but have to be someplace else. A couple of things though, one, they will disappear when you say 'astral drop' around them. Secondly, they're kind of dumb."

"What do you mean kind of dumb?" Asked Sarah.

"You'll see. Hold out you're hands and say portlatsa." Will said. The girls lined up side by side and did as Will had instructed.

"Portlatsa!" They all said at once. There was a flash of light and standing before the girls were five exact copies of them.

"Wicked!" Trista cried out. "I can get out of that math test next week!" Before Will could tell her the astral drops weren't for personal gain the Trista drop went up to the lamp by Becky's bed and started poking at the light bulb.

"Ohh! Pretty!" It said. It then grabbed the light bulb. "Ow! That's hot!"

"You've got to be kidding me." Trista said with a horrified look on her face. "How the heck is something so stupid supposed to pass for us!?"

"Like I said, they're just a stand in. Now give them some simple instructions and send them on their way. Once the others are gone go ahead and dismiss yours Becky, since you won't need her." The girls took their copies aside and told them what to do.

"Astral drop." Becky's copy shimmered for a second before it disappeared. "That happens when anyone says it?" Becky asked.

"Yep, doesn't matter who says it. When it hears those words it vanishes." Will answered.

"Alright! Time to kick it into high gear!" Trista called out.

"Yeah! It's Guardian time!" Lisa shouted. Becky just smiled and held up the Heart.

"Guardians unite!" After they transformed they said a quick goodbye to Will and flew out the window. Will watched them go, wishing she was going with them.

"Be careful out there." She said as she turned away from the window.

The girls were flying in a V shaped formation with Becky at the front. All five of them were scanning the alleys and streets for any signs of the Shoran, but in the rapidly fading light it was becoming hard to see anything.

"Crap! Where the hell did they go!?" Trista called out in frustration. "It's like they vanished into nothing!"

"More importantly what are they up to?" Asked Sarah. "It doesn't make any sense. If they knew where we were, why didn't they try and take us by surprise?"

"Maybe they don't want to be spotted?" Amy said. "I mean it is still daytime. People are bound to notice a bunch of giant lizards armed with swords wandering around the city."

"Could they be leading us into a trap?" Lisa asked. "You know, draw us out into the open?" Becky had been having the same thought from the moment they had left her bedroom. It was just to convenient for them to suddenly show up and then immediately disappear.

"I think so too. This just doesn't smell right." She said.

"If that's true, then where the heck did they go? If they wanted to jump us then why did they take off?" Trista said.

"Maybe we took to long to go after them? They probably expected us to chase them immediately." Amy said. Becky was about to reply when an arrow whistled past her left ear.

"Shit!" Trista cried out. "The bastards really were waiting to jump us!" More arrows started to fly at them, some of them coming much to close for comfort. Lisa thrust her arms above her head and created a swirling bubble of air around them, forming a shield that deflected the incoming projectiles.

"Where are they!?" Sarah shouted. Becky scanned the surrounding area and quickly spied where the arrows were coming from.

"There! The construction site!" She yelled pointing at the area where the shots were coming from. With the air shield still in place the five guardians dived strait down at the building that was still mostly steel I-beams. Their feet crunched on the dirt as they touched down on the ground. Their posture showed the tension that they were feeling.

"Everyone keep an eye out. They've got to be here somewhere." Becky did her best to hide the nervousness in her voice. This was her first real time acting as leader and she was terrified of making a mistake. If she made a mistake here it could get one her friends killed and she wouldn't let that happen.

"What are they waiting for?" Amy whispered. "They know where we are, so what's taking them so long?"

"They're trying to screw with us, make us uneasy. Just keep cool and wait for them to make their move." Sarah said. The girls backed up slightly so the high wooden fence of the construction site was right behind them. They watched the half-finished building in front of them carefully, waiting for the coming attack.

"C'mon." Trista said through clenched teeth. Sweat dripped down their faces as they grew more anxious by the second. A moment later all hell broke lose. Over a dozen Shoran broke from cover and charged the girls, their swords raised over their heads. At the same time several archers appeared on the upper levels of the building with bows drawn. They fired their arrows all at once, but before they even got close Lisa knocked them out of the sky with a blast of air. Before they could launch another volley Trista and Becky sent a stream of lighting bolts and fireballs at them, forcing them to retreat back into the building.

By now the Shoran on the ground were almost on top of them. Amy pointed at a partially exposed water pipe and forced it to burst. She directed the stream into the first few attackers and slammed them into a stack of lumber. They groaned in pain, but didn't get up. Sarah quickly dropped to one knee and drove a fist into the ground. A shockwave radiated out from her hand, shaking the ground. The lizard men stumbled and Lisa knocked them over with another air blast. As they tried to get back to their feet Amy began hitting them with water blasts from her hands. While the shots did knock them back down they continued to get back up.

"We could use some help over here!" Sarah called out to Becky and Trista.

"Trista! Go help the others! I'll take care of the archers!" Becky called out. Trista broke off to join the others while Becky took to the air and flew into the steel girders of the building. The archers were just inside, taking shelter behind the vertical beams and half finished walls of the interior. Several cried out in alarm and raised their bows when they saw Becky. She beat them to the punch and started zapping them one by one into unconsciousness. One archer snuck up behind her and took aim. At the last second Becky noticed him and dodged just as he fired at her. She spun around mid-air and fired off a lighting bolt, hitting the lizard man square in the chest, flinging him backwards through a sheet of plaster.

Outside Trista had joined up with the others just as the battle turned into a close quarters combat situation. Lisa, Amy, and Sarah were all taking on several Shoran at once. They were so crowded they couldn't take to the air without risking being cut down. Trista quickly rushed in to help her friends. She came up behind one lizard man who was about to stab Amy and swept her leg out knocking the monster down. Before he could get up she drove her elbow into his gut knocking the wind out of him. Two more Shoran spun around at the grunt of pain and went to attack Trista. She quickly dealt with them by blasting them with a pair of fireballs. Amy quickly sprayed her remaining attackers with water blasts.

"Thanks Trista!" Amy called out.

"No problem!" Trista replied quickly as she sidestepped a sword strike. The momentum of the blow carried the Shoran past Trista who delivered a sharp chop to the back of his neck before he could recover. Lisa had five of the lizard men on her. They had been unable to hit her thanks to a combination of her powers and her gymnastic abilities. When they were about to all attack at once Lisa created a mini tornado around herself that picked up her assailants and tossed them across the yard.

Sarah had been backed into a corner, but had quickly turned the situation to her advantage by using a nearby pile of cinderblocks as projectiles. Any time one of them approached her a simple wave her hand sent one of the cement blocks hurtling into their chests. When only of two of them were left they turned to run away and Sarah made a pair of dirt columns pop out of the ground under them tossing them into the air. They landed near Amy who was moving her arm in a wide arc using a continuous stream of water to blast a line of charging Shoran. A ear shattering roar pierced the air. A large, muscle bound Shoran armed with twin hatchets had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"What is this now!?" Amy cried out in surprise. The Shoran roared again and tore his cloak off, revealing his shirtless chest. He stared the girls down and grunted angrily with each breath. Trista suddenly got a horrified look on her face.

"Everyone scatter! Get away from that guy! He's a berserker!" She yelled in alarm. "Don't let him get near you or he'll rip you to shreds!" The berserker yelled at the top of his lungs and the rest of the Shoran quickly scattered, desperate to get out of the path of destruction that they knew was coming.

"Oh boy, how did we get into this mess?" Amy moaned. The ground shook beneath them as the berserker ran at them. Spittle flew from his mouth and his eyes had a frenzied look to them. Sarah was the first to act. She slapped her hands on the ground and erected a dirt wall around the berserker. It didn't hold long. The enraged Shoran quickly chopped through the barrier. Amy and Lisa quickly tried to use their powers to hold him back, but he slowly pushed his way closer to them. Trista pummeled the berserker with fireballs, but all it did was increase his rage.

"Quick! Everyone fly! He can't get us from the air!" Sarah called out. The girls took off just before the berserker reached them. The enraged lizard man roared in frustration. He pulled an arm back and flung one of his hatchets at the girls. It traced a deadly arc through the air, just as it was about to hit Lisa, Amy knocked it out of the air with a water blast. While the girls were distracted the berserker jumped on top of a stack of stone sewer pipes and leapt into the air, his remaining ax raised over his head, ready to crush someone's skull.

"I don't think so!" Becky pounded the berserker with a pair of lighting bolts. He roared in pain and crashed into the ground. "Everyone! Hit him all at once!" Becky called out. Lisa picked him up with a whirlwind and spun him around. Trista and Amy pelted him with fireballs and water bolts while Sarah hit him with rocks she pulled up from the ground. Becky continuously fired lighting bolts into the whirlwind. This went on for several seconds before Becky decided to end it.

"Lisa! Take him down!" Lisa nodded and slammed the lizard man into the sewer pipes. He fell to his knees, wavered for a second before he fell face first into the dirt. There was an audible gasp from the other Shoran at the sight of one of their strongest warriors unconscious.

"Damn! How can we lose twice!?" One of the Shoran yelled in anger. "Fall back! Your luck can't hold out forever Guardians! You will fall!" He turned, helped the berserker to his feet and retreated.

"Hey! That's the same guy who attacked us outside Becky's apartment!" Sarah called out.

"After them! We need to find out who they're working for!" Becky said. The girls followed the Shoran from the air as they ducked down the back alleys.

"Damn! These guys are fast!" Trista said at one point in the pursuit. "No wonder they were able to chase us down so easily the other night!"

"Well, wherever they're going they better get there soon or it's going to be to dark to see them!" Lisa said in alarm. The sun was just a sliver of light on the horizon and it was growing darker by the second.

"There! They just ducked into that building!" Becky pointed to an abandoned warehouse. There were on the outskirts of town and many of the buildings in the area were run down. The five of them landed and dashed into the building. The Shoran were all standing in middle of a glowing purple circle on the floor which was full of strange symbols.

"We will return! Count on it! My name is Friv, second in command of this mercenary band! I will destroy you yet!" Friv quickly bent down, touched the glowing circle, and muttered a few words in a unknown language. The mystic circle grew even brighter and the Shoran vanished in a flash of light.

"Crap! They got away!" Trista yelled angrily.

"Maybe not…" Becky said as she stared at circle which had begun to fade. She then pulled out the Heart and opened a fold. "Wait here a minute guys, I'll be right back." Before the others could ask what she was up to Becky stepped through the fold.

"Where did she go?" Asked a very confused Amy. A couple of minutes later another fold opened up and Becky stepped out followed by the Oracle.

"Here it is, just like I told you. The leader touched it, spoke some funny words and they vanished." Becky said to the Oracle.

"I see. I'm glad you got me, this is defiantly a important clue." The Oracle kneeled down to examine the circle.

"Nice going Becky, I would of never thought of getting the Oracle out here." Lisa said. The Oracle finished his examination and stood back up.

"This is a teleportation circle, a effective, but complicated means of traveling between worlds. It's generally used when you want to travel from one specific location to another. It is not very versatile, but an excellent way to move large groups at once." The Oracle explained.

"So does that mean you know where they're coming from?" Sarah asked.

"Each ring is unique, I will have to analyze the markings. It will take some time for me to do it. I will have Yan Lin contact you when I know more." The Oracle looked at the ring again and waved his hand. A miniature image of the ring appeared, floating just above his palm.

"You've done well Guardians. Hopefully this will shed some light on what's going on." The girls beamed at the Oracle's praise. "I must return to Kandrakar and start analyzing the circle, I will see you when I have more information." The Oracle created a fold and stepped through.

"Well, the fun's over for now. Guess we should get home." Trista said with a yawn. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm wiped."

"I hear you there, I want to get cracking on that picture anyways." Amy said. Becky jumped a little at the mention of her problems at school. In all the chaos of the fight she had forgotten that particular situation. Over the next half an hour the girls snuck one by one into their homes and dismissed their astral drops. Lisa was the last to be dropped off. After the blonde had gotten into her room Becky turned her back into her normal form.

"Astral drop." Lisa said, causing her duplicate to vanish. "You know, you did great tonight. I knew you could be a good leader." Becky blushed at Lisa's praise.

"I don't know about that." She said bashfully.

"You shouldn't doubt yourself. We believe in you, you should to." Lisa said. She leaned out the window and looked Becky in the eye. "I know it isn't easy for you, but you're a better person then you think you are. And don't worry about Stacey, Amy will find the proof we need to clear you. Once she does we'll put that rich little brat in her place."

"Thanks Lisa. I appreciate it, I really do. I'll try to be more positive, but no promises." Becky said. Lisa tilted her head to one side, closed her eyes and smiled. Becky couldn't help but think how cute Lisa looked right then.

"Well, that's a start anyways." Lisa said. She waved Becky closer and when the brown haired girl floated closer Lisa embraced her in hug. Becky could fell her heart pounding in her chest and the familiar tingling sensation in her stomach. "You'll be fine, I promise."

"You're a good friend Lisa." Becky said as she hugged Lisa back.

"And don't you forget it." Both girls giggled at Lisa's comment.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Becky said as she flew away from Lisa's window. Becky flew backwards until she couldn't see Lisa anymore. She could still feel the warmth of Lisa's touch on her skin. That night as she slept her dreams were filled with visions of a certain blonde haired girl.

The next day Becky walked to school apprehensively. A situation that was made worse by the absence of her friends. She had received a brief phone call from Sarah saying they would meet her at school, but wouldn't say anything else which made her nervous. Did that mean Amy hadn't been able to find any proof that Stacey had made the whole thing up? The lack of information was driving her mad. The only thing keeping her sane was Lisa's words from last night. The very thought of the encounter started her heart pounding again. Once the problem with Stacey was solved she was going have to figure out what was happening with her feelings for Lisa, and quickly.

"There she is!" Becky looked up at sound of Stacey's loud voice. She looked up and saw her tormentor standing in front of a huge crowd. Connie, Chad and Jenny stood nearby. Connie had an evil grin on her face while Jenny looked miserable. "There's the little slut that tried to steal my boyfriend!" Stacey grabbed Chad, who had a kind of dumbfounded look on his face, and pulled him to her side. "I mean, I can understand why she would want my Chady-poo, who wouldn't? But still doesn't make it right!" Becky looked at the crowd, which seemed to be mesmerized by Stacey's words. She wondered how the cheerleader had that kind of power over people.

"You want to talk about what's right!? Tell me, how's it right to frame an innocent person just because you don't like them!?" Becky spun around at the sound of Lisa's voice.

"What are you talking about!? I didn't any thing like that!" Stacey said indignantly. "I dare you to prove it!"

"Gladly you freaking snob!" Trista shouted out. She and Sarah quickly moved towards the crowd and started passing out pictures.

"I took a closer look at that picture you had your lackeys passing out yesterday." Amy said. "And I found something interesting. I took the liberty of blowing it up so everyone can see. Tell me Stacey, how do explain the fact that Becky has a third hand sticking out of her stomach!?" Lisa handed Becky a copy of the enlarged photo, and just like Amy had said there was a extra hand in the picture. The crowd started muttering among themselves as the proof of Becky's innocence was passed around. Stacey shot an angry glare at Jenny.

"The answer is you can't!" Trista shouted. "You had Chad talk to Becky, took some pictures and digitally altered them to make it look like Becky was coming on to that dumb ox you call your boyfriend!" The gathered students started walking off, several of them gave Stacey disgusted looks.

"W…Wait! It's not true! Of course they found this so called evidence! They're her friends! Come back here!" Stacey pleaded with the crowd, but they weren't listening anymore. Once she realized she had lost she turned and got in Jenny's face. "This is your fault! You screwed up the picture!"

"I'm sorry Stacey! I did my best! I tried to tell you I needed more time to make sure I had gotten it right!" Jenny said.

"Don't you try to put this back on me!" Stacey raised her hand to slap Jenny, but she never got the chance as both Becky and Sarah got in her way. Becky had grabbed Stacey's arm and Sarah had jumped in front of Jenny.

"I think that's enough out of you." Becky said angrily. "Why don't you just get lost." Stacey yanked her arm free of Becky's grasp and glared at the girls.

"Whatever. Let's go before these losers start rubbing off on us." Stacey, Connie, and Chad all started walking off but Jenny hung back for a minute. She had a guilty look on her face and couldn't bring herself to look at Becky.

"I'm really sorry. Stacey made me alter the picture to make it look like you were hitting on Chad. But that's no excuse for what I did. Which is why I can't understand why you protected me." Jenny said.

"I have to admit I'm not very happy with you." Becky said. "You don't even know me, yet you went along with a plan to make the whole school hate me." Jenny flinched at the statement. Becky's tone quickly grew more gentle however. "But I wasn't about to let Stacey hit you either, you don't deserve that."

Jenny was about to speak, but was interrupted by Stacey yelling at her.

"Get over here Jenny! You still have some of my homework!"

"I'm coming!" Jenny said. She started to walk away, but stopped as she passed both Becky and Sarah. "Thank you." She then quickly ran off.

"Well, at least that nonsense about you trying to steal Chad away from Stacey is over with. She won't try anything like that again either. No one will believe her." Amy said. All five of them watched as Jenny ran to catch up with Stacy.

"It's to bad Jenny hangs out with Stacey. At least she's sorry about her part in this whole mess." Sarah said.

"One of these days Jenny will figure out Stacey is loser and get away from her." Lisa said.

"Yeah, the sooner the better." Trista said.

Later that day as school was getting out Becky went to her locker. To her great surprise a pink envelope fell out when she opened the door. She picked it up and saw her name on the front. She quickly opened it up, curious who had given her a valentine. Inside was a white card with a red heart on the front. A smile crept onto her face as she read the words written on the inside of the note.

_Becky, I know the whole situation Stacey caused was really rough on you. What's worse, she and Chad played with your heart which was especially cruel. I thought you might need some so cheering up so I decided to slip this into your locker. I'm sure you would of preferred if it had been some cute guy that sent you a valentine, but I hope this makes you feel a little better._

_Your friend, Lisa_

Becky looked up and saw Lisa watching her. The blonde waved at Becky before she walked off. Becky turned back to the card in her hand. She couldn't help but grin. She got a piece of tape out of her bag and hung the valentine on the inside of her locker door. Lisa was wrong, she had given Becky exactly what she wanted most. Becky closed her locker and went home, feeling the happiest she had in the last couple of days.

**And chapter 10 ends here! I know this was a long chapter, I hope it didn't drag on to much. Also, I got the word they used to summon the astral drops off the cartoon and had to guess at the proper spelling, if I got it wrong please let me know so I can fix it. **

**In the next chapter the girls will be traveling to a new world and meeting some more new charecters. Also, Becky will finally come to understand what her feelings for Lisa mean. But how that realizaton comes about and how she reacts will remain a mystery until then! I'll do my best to get it done quickly, but we're entering the busy season at work so it's not going to be easy. If I don't get it up before hand Happy Halloween!**


	11. Chapter 11 The Scouting Mission

**Hiya folks! I happy to say Chapter 11 has arrived! I struggled a little with a couple of parts of this chapter, but I think I worked the kinks out. (At least I hope I did!) I know that in my notes last chapter I said I was going to start a forum page, but didn't. I've been kind of going back and forth on the issue and can't seem to make up my mind about it. If any of you have an opion on the matter, let me know so can make a final decision on the matter. **

**A thank you goes out to Vampknight364 for becomeing the newest reviewer! Welcome aboard! Once agian I ask for reviews! Please!**

Chapter 11: The Scouting Mission

Becky stared at herself in the large mirror hanging on her closet door. Her reflection frowned at her for a minute before the young leader of the Guardians went back to her dresser to find some different clothes. For the last half an hour she had been going through her wardrobe trying to decide on an outfit to wear to the valentine dance. She knew she shouldn't be that worried about what she was going to wear, especially since she was just going with her friends, but some part of her wanted to look her best for the event. She started flinging shirts out of the drawers onto the floor. She went back to the mirror and held up a sleeveless purple shirt. After a minute she pulled the shirt on over head and wrapped a black leather belt around the waist of her blue jeans.

"So are you finally ready?" Will asked from the entrance to Becky's room. She had a knowing grin plastered to her face. "So tell me, who's the lucky guy?"

"What are you talking about mom? You know I'm just going with the girls." Becky was a little annoyed. Will had been bugging her for the last couple of days, convinced that she was meeting some boy at the dance. Secretly, she had been wondering why she wasn't even interested in any of the guys at school. She had decided not to mention that little detail.

"You can't fool me Becky. You'd wouldn't be going to so much trouble to chose an outfit if you weren't trying to look good for someone." Will said with a laugh. "I did the same thing when I was your age. I, uh, did it to try and catch Matt's attention." Will's smile was replaced with a slight frown. Becky suddenly felt a little guilty, she hated seeing her adopted mother upset.

"I swear I'm not trying to show off for some guy." Becky said quickly, trying to stop Will from reliving her painful memories of her former boyfriend.

"Alright, if you don't want to tell me that's fine. Just promise me that when you do manage to get him to be your boyfriend you bring him by so I can meet him." Will said, once again smiling. Becky just rolled her eyes.

"Mom! I'm not after any boys!" She looked into the mirror and got a sad look on her face. "Besides, even if I was, I'm not pretty enough to catch any guys notice."

"Now that is just not true!" Will said quickly. "You're a very pretty girl, even if you don't see it." Becky didn't say anything, she just continued to look at herself in the mirror. "Tell you what, why don't I help you with a little makeup?" Becky just shrugged her shoulders, she didn't see how it would help, but she didn't think it would hurt either. Will took Becky by the hand and led her to the bathroom.

"Okay, I don't think we want to use too much. We don't want to overdo it and cover up your natural looks." Will said as she scrutinized Becky's face. She sat Becky down on the toilet and first applied some mascara to her eyelashes. "Sit still or I'm going to mess this up and poke you in the eye." After she finished with the mascara Will then pulled out a tube of lipstick and ran it over Becky's lips. Will stepped back to admire her handy work. "Not bad, if I do say so myself. The color doesn't quite suit you, but it isn't to bad. We'll have to go by the mall and get you your own makeup. Anyways, what do you think?"

"You know, it's actually not that bad." Becky said as she looked into the mirror.

"Didn't I say you were a pretty girl?" Will said in triumph. "Just be yourself and the boy you're chasing will notice you soon enough." Becky just groaned. Much to her relief she was saved by ringing of the doorbell.

"That'll be the girls!" Becky said excitedly. She ran to the door and opened it up.

"Hey Becks! You ready to party!?" Trista said excitedly. She walked in followed by the others. Trista was wearing a black t-shirt and black pants with a red belt. Sarah had a knee length blue jean skirt and a loose fitting white shirt. Amy had a tight fitting green shirt and a black skirt that went down to about the middle of her thighs. She had also added a blue hair band to her hair. Becky's eyes were once again drawn to Lisa however. The blonde had blue jeans much like Becky's and a light blue shirt that left her stomach bare as well as her left shoulder and arm.

"Wow, you guys look great, especially you Lisa." Becky said.

"Thanks, you look pretty good yourself." Lisa said. Becky felt her face go red. The all to familiar tingling feeling in her stomach had shown up as well.

"Come on! Let's get going!" Amy said impatiently.

"You girls have a good time." Will said from the hallway.

"We will mom. See you later." The girls left and headed downstairs. They climbed into a van that was being driven by Lisa's mom, Helen, who was taking the girls to the dance and picking them up after it was over.

"Hello Becky, how are you doing tonight dear?" Helen asked once Becky got inside.

"I'm good Mrs. Sonders." Becky answered. She liked Lisa's mom, ever since she had meet her Helen had been very friendly with Becky. Lisa told her once that Helen really liked her and wanted to make her feel welcome in their home.

"I've told you before Becky, you can call me Helen. You're the only one of my daughter's friends who call me Mrs." Lisa's mom said.

"Yeah, lighten up Becks, Helen is pretty cool." Trista said.

"Thank you Trista. So shall we get going?" The girls all cheered as Helen pulled away from the curb. They chatted excitedly with one another and before they realized it they arrived in front of Sheffield.

"Wow, there are a lot of people here." Sarah said.

"I'm not surprised, this dance is all anybody could talk about for days." Amy said as the girls got out of the van.

"Have fun girls. I'll meet you out here when it's over." Helen said before she drove off. Before the girls could even take a step towards the gym an all to familiar voice spoke out.

"Well, well. I was sure you five would chicken out." Stacey said in a snotty tone. The cheerleader was wearing a purple tube top that ended just below her breasts and a very short black miniskirt. Chad stood just behind her, his eyes glued to Stacey's butt. "Guess I owe you five bucks." She had turned her head to speak to Connie who was hanging onto the arm of another member of the football team. Like Stacey she was dressed in clothes that showed a good deal of skin. Jenny was there as well, hanging back in the shadows. She seemed uncomfortable in the clothes she was wearing, even though they weren't that bad. A blue skirt that went half way down to her knees and a white v-cut shirt that showed just a hint of cleavage. When she saw Becky and the others she smiled a little and gave them a quick wave. She quickly looked towards Stacey, making sure the cheerleader hadn't seen the gesture.

"Wow Stacey, if they have an award for the most slutty outfit you're sure to win." Trista said. Stacey growled and started to move towards Trista. Connie grabbed her arm and led her into the building with Chad close behind while Becky stopped Trista from pouncing on Stacey. Jenny gave them an apologetic look before running to catch up with Stacey.

"Let it go Trista. Stacey isn't worth it." Amy said.

"God! I hate that bitch!" Trista yelled.

"She is a royal pain." Sarah said in an annoyed tone.

"C'mon. Forget them. Let's just get in there and have some fun." Lisa said. The girls headed for the gym, eager to have a good time. As they got close they could hear and feel the thumping music. Multi colored light leaked out from the open double doors of the gym. As they got closer they saw small groups of people standing just outside the doors. They were also a few couples in secluded spots in the hope that they could find a little privacy while they made out.

"Get a room!" Trista shouted at one couple. She started laughing when she got a pair of angry and embarrassed looks, which was exactly the response she was looking for.

"Geez Trista, how would you like it if someone did that to you while you were kissing your boyfriend?" Amy said.

"Ah, I doubt I'd mind. Besides, it's not like I'll ever have a boyfriend. I scare the boys too much." Trista made it sound like a joke, but Becky could of sworn she heard a hint of sadness in her friend's voice. They entered the gym to loud music and dim lights. Most of the student body was in the middle of the floor dancing away.

"Looks like everyone is having a good time." Lisa said. She had to yell to be heard over the music.

"Almost everyone." Amy said with a frown. She pointed to the snack table where Jenny was struggling to carry five cups of punch over to Stacey and her entourage.

"Jenny! Hurry up with our drinks!" The girls could hear Stacey perfectly fine over the music. Jenny scrambled to pass out the cups. After passing out four of them out she started to take a drink from her cup. Stacey got a wicked grin on her face and whispered something into Connie's ear. Connie quickly got a smirk on her face as well. She said something to her date who just shrugged and walked up behind Jenny. He pretended to trip and bumped into the unsuspecting girl, making her spill her drink all over herself. Bright red punch quickly covered the front of her shirt. Jenny gasped in shock while Stacey and Connie started laughing hysterically.

"Did you see that!?" Sarah cried in outrage. "I can't believe it! They intentionally made her spill her drink on herself!" Jenny had an embarrassed look on her face. Several people were laughing at her now. Jenny hid her face in her hands and ran off.

"Oh that's it!" Trista yelled angrily. She was about to lash out, but Sarah beat her to the punch.

"How could you!?" Sarah yelled in Stacey's face. "You're a horrible person! I'll never understand how you can be so evil!" Sarah then turned around and stormed off, leaving Stacey standing there, totally dumbfounded.

"Way to go Sarah! I didn't think you had it in you!" Amy cheered when Sarah rejoined her friends.

"Thanks, but I doubt it'll do much good. Jenny has just got to realize Stacey is never going to be nice to her and drop the brat on her ass." Sarah said with a shake of her head. Becky and the others laughed at Sarah's words.

"Why do you get so worked up about how Stacey treats Jenny?" Becky asked Sarah.

"I don't know, I guess I just don't like the fact that someone as nice as her is being controlled and taken advantage of by someone as manipulative as Stacey." Sarah said.

"And the fact that she's your groupie doesn't enter into the equation?" Amy said smugly.

"Say what?" Becky shouted in disbelief.

"Don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she's talking about." Sarah said shaking her head.

"Oh please, you said yourself that you've caught her following you around every now and again." Amy said with a smirk.

"I said I thought she was following me, I can't be sure." Sarah shrugged.

"Okay, okay, we get the picture. Let's forget about it for now. We're here to have a good time, remember?" Becky said quickly. "Why don't we get something to eat? I'm starved." The girls moved to the snack table and started munching on the various goodies provided.

"Alright everybody! I hope you're all having fun!" The DJ said from his place on the stage. The students cheered in response. "Excellent! So how about we keep this party going!?' Again everyone cheered. "Excellent! So why don't you get all get ready to shake your booty, because I just got a request to play 'Murder on the Dance Floor'!"

"I love that song!" Lisa shouted happily. "C'mon! We got to get out there and dance!"

"Maybe later, but you go ahead." Trista said in-between mouthfuls of food.

"What about you two?" Lisa said to Amy and Sarah.

"Nah, we're good." Amy said.

"Well, guess it's up to you and me Becky!" Lisa said.

"W…What?" Becky stammered out. "I can't dance!"

"Please, we've all seen you on Dance Master. You've got the moves girl." Amy said before shoving a handful of chips into her mouth.

"But that's just a game!" Becky said in protest. "When I play that I'm just following the arrows! It's not like I actually know what I'm doing!"

"Just come on already!" Lisa dragged Becky by the arm onto the dance floor. The young Keeper of the Heart tried in vain to struggle free, but Lisa's grip was too strong. The Air Guardian finally let go, but it was too late for Becky to escape.

"Lisa! I don't want to embarrass myself in front of all these people!" Becky said. They were in the center of the dance floor, surrounded by dozens of their schoolmates.

"C'mon Becky, relax. Don't worry about the crowd. Just let lose and have some fun!" Lisa said merrily. As the song began Lisa started by simply taping her foot, which Becky imitated, not knowing what else to do. As the song began to rev up Lisa started shaking her hips. Becky copied this as well, though her timing was a little off. The song went into full swing and so did Lisa. The blonde was dancing away now, she twirled and moved along with the music. Becky was trying to follow along, but it was difficult because she was having trouble reading Lisa's moves. Becky could feel her face going red, she felt so foolish trying to dance like Lisa. She was about to walk away when she caught a glimpse of her friend's smiling face.

Lisa seemed so happy and carefree right then that Becky couldn't help but feel the same way, it was infectious. It was right then that her fear vanished. So what if everyone thought she was a bad dancer? Who cared? She relaxed like Lisa had said and all of a sudden it was like she was completely in tune with her friend. She was totally in sync with Lisa now. They both spun around and clapped their hands, reversed direction and did it again. Several people stopped dancing to watch Becky and Lisa who were putting on quite a show. The two of them spun and moved in unison. Soon they were surrounded by onlookers who were clapping in time and cheering Becky and Lisa on. The other three girls were on the edge of the crowd shouting encouragement to their two friends. Stacey and her entourage were watching as well. Stacey and Connie had their arms crossed across their chests and were scowling at what they saw. Jenny was smiling and clapping, but quickly stopped when Stacey turned and glared at her. As the song ended Becky and Lisa finished by dashing forward, dropping to their knees and throwing their arms into the air.

"Let's hear it for those two lovely young ladies!" The DJ called out, causing the crowd to cheer even louder. Becky and Lisa got up and waved to everyone in appreciation. They walked off with their arms around each others shoulders and out of breath.

"See! I knew you could do it!" Lisa said happily.

"That was incredible! You two were the best out there!" Sarah cheered.

"You should of seen the look on Stacey's face! I thought she was going to blow her eyeballs out!" Trista said with a laugh.

"Way to go!" Amy shouted.

"I can't believe I did that!" Becky said with a smile. "Thanks Lisa! I'm glad you forced me out there!"

"No problem! Glad to do it!" The girls went back to the snack table so Becky and Lisa could get something to drink. Over the next couple of hours the girls had a great time hanging out together. Near the end of the evening Professor Knickerbocker got up on stage.

"I hope you all had a good time tonight." The students cheered in agreement. "Before we end the festivities tonight I'd like to award the prize for best dance performance." The crowd quieted down, eager to hear who the winners were. "The prize goes to Becky Vandom and Lisa Sonders!" The crowd exploded in excitement as a spotlight focused in on a stunned Becky and Lisa.

"No way." Becky said in shock.

"Get up there!" Amy said giving her friends a small shove. The two of them ran up to the stage as the crowd continued to cheer.

"Congratulations girls!" Knickerbocker said as she handed a pair of trophies to the two girls. Becky looked out into the crowd in time to see Stacey storm out the door. Becky pointed Stacey's retreat out to Lisa and the two of them giggled. The dance soon ended after that and the girls once again found themselves getting into Helen's van. The girls were tired, but still very excited over the nights events. Becky said goodnight to her friends outside her apartment building and went upstairs. Will was wanting up for her and congratulated her on winning her trophy. She wanted a full report on the night's events, but Becky begged it off, saying she was too tired. She headed for her room, promising to fill Will in the next morning. Becky changed into her PJ's and climbed into bed. She smiled at the trophy, which was now sitting on top of her dresser. As she drifted off to sleep Becky's thoughts were centered on one person, Lisa.

The next morning Becky was sitting at the kitchen table describing the previous night at the dance to Will. Becky spoke excitedly as she talked about the dancing with Lisa and the two of them winning the trophies. Will was glad to see her daughter so happy for once. She couldn't help giving Becky a hard time however.

"Are you sure it was Lisa you danced with?" Will said with a sly look on her face. "C'mon, come clean. Who's the lucky guy?" Becky could only sigh and lean her head back in exasperation. Will laughed at Becky's reaction.

"If you don't believe me just ask the girls when they come by later." Becky answered back.

"I think I'll do that. Maybe they'll tell me who your boyfriend is." Will countered.

"Mom!" Becky roared in frustration. The phone rang, saving her from anymore teasing. Will got up to answer the phone while Becky went back to eating her breakfast. Will came back a couple minutes later with totally different demeanor. "What is it?" Becky grew serious as well, having a pretty good guess as to what she was about to tell her.

"I'm afraid you and your friends are going to have to cancel your plans for today. That was Yan Lin, the Oracle deciphered that teleportation circle and wants you all to come to Kandrakar as soon as possible." Becky just nodded.

"Let me finish eating quick and I'll call the girls. I'll have them meet us at the Silver Dragon." Becky didn't wait for Will to answer and started wolfing down the remainder of her food.

"I'll call Taranee and the others, let them know what's up. I'm sure they'll want to go to Kandrakar as well." Soon Becky was on her cell phone while getting dressed and Will was talking on the apartment phone. Forty-five minutes later everyone was gathered in the basement of the Silver Dragon.

"Where's Elyon and Caleb?" Becky asked.

"They're on Meridian." Cornelia said. "I contacted them earlier and they're going to meet us there."

"The council is probably waiting for us. Becky if you would?" Yan Lin said. Becky nodded and took out the Heart.

"Guardians unite." After they had finished transforming Becky opened a fold and everyone started stepping through. Becky was the last to pass through into the council chamber. Elyon and Caleb were already there, as was the entire council. Yan Lin quickly took her seat next to Halinor on the benches.

"Thank you for coming so quickly Guardians." The Oracle said in way of greeting. "I assume you already know why I had Yan Lin summon you here."

"Yes, you found out where the Shoran are coming from." Becky said.

"Indeed, it took me a few days to decipher the directing runes on the circle, and what I discovered has me very worried indeed." Becky noticed the troubled looks that popped up on Will's and her friends faces. Becky took that as a bad sign. She guessed that it wasn't good for the Oracle to be 'very worried'.

"What do you mean?" Asked Amy.

"The circle links to a world called Eldrin. And that is what has me worried. Eldrin is not a place that would hire Shoran. For hundreds of years it has been a place of great peace, much like Meridian is now."

"So that means something must of happened. Because otherwise they wouldn't be coming from there." Sarah said.

"Precisely. And it must of happened recently if we haven't heard about it yet." Halinor said. "Just what that something is we just don't know. There are several possibilities, and none of them are good."

"So what's the plan?" Trista asked.

"The best course of action right now would be for the five of you to go to Eldrin and scout things out. What you find will determine our next course of action." The Oracle said.

"Sounds good. We're ready to go right now." Becky said.

"Excellent. I'll open a fold that will put you in a small forest clearing. There will be a fair sized village nearby, you should be able to gather information there. Though I would suggest you remain hidden until you know what the situation is. Revealing yourselves too soon could have disastrous results. We do not know who we can trust yet. If at any time you find yourselves in real trouble return here at once, do not take any unnecessary risks."

"We won't Oracle." Becky said.

"Be careful, all of you." Will said.

"We will mom, I promise." Becky said. The Oracle opened the fold and the girls stepped through.

"You wish you were going with them, don't you?" Irma said as the fold closed.

"Yeah, don't you?" Will asked back.

"We all do." Caleb said. "It's hard to sit back and watch them go. But it's their time now. We've just got to trust them. And if they do need us, we'll be there for them."

"You're right of course. I don't have to like it though." Will said.

"How do you think I feel?" Elyon said suddenly. "I never really got to be part of the action in the old days. I was either being tricked by Phobos or locked inside Nerissa's pendant. I missed all the fun!" The tension broke and everyone started laughing.

The girls looked at their surroundings. They were encircled by towering trees and thick brush. They could hear the faint sound of insects buzzing and the chirp of birds. They looked up to get a look at the sky and were shocked to see that it was a sea green color instead of blue. Other then a few clouds the sky was empty as well.

"Well, everything seems quiet enough." Sarah said. "The green sky is kind of weird though."

"Let's find that village. Everyone fly up to the treetops, but don't go to far above them, we don't want to be spotted." Becky said. The others nodded and they took to the air. They floated with about half their bodies above the treetops and started looking around. They found that the clearing was on top of a large hill that gave them an excellent view of the surrounding area. The forest stretched out to the east and north where it ended against a snow covered mountain range. To the south was an expanse of small rolling hills that eventually flattened out into a coastline. Not far to the west was the village they were looking for, which was ringed by fields of crops.

"There it is!" Amy cried out. "Shall we go take a look?"

"That is why we're here. We'll head through the woods and scope things out before we get to close." Becky said. The girls descended and flew through the trees towards the village. Despite the seriousness of the situation they were having a good time dodging branches and flying around the trunks of the trees. Becky had them land when they reached the forest's edge. They peered out from behind the trees at the village. Most of the stone and wood buildings were only a single level. They could see a few people moving about the town going about their daily business. The locals appeared to be human, the only difference being that blue and green were among their normal hair colors.

"Think that's natural?" Becky asked in reference to the unusual hair colors.

"I guess, unless they're big into dying their hair." Sarah said.

"This is so cool! It's just like being in an anime!" Amy said excitedly. The other girls moaned while the Water Guardian enthusiastically went on describe one of her favorite shows that reminded her of the current situation.

"Well, we need to find some disguises. There is now way we're going to blend in with that crowd, not in these getups." Trista said.

"Agreed." Becky said. They walked around the edge of the woods until they came to an abandoned farmhouse. They snuck inside to see if they could find anything to wear into town. The house was all one room and smelled of dust and rot. Sarah screamed and jumped when she turned over a half rotten wicker basket and a large rat like creature jumped out. After a good laugh they began digging around in the hopes of finding some clothes that were still in good condition.

"Here we go! This should do the trick!" Lisa backed out of a cupboard holding several brown hooded cloaks. The garments, while old, were in good condition.

"Good job Lisa." Becky said taking one of the cloaks and wrapping it around her shoulders. The bottom ended just above her feet, but otherwise it covered her perfectly. "Even with these on we're going to have to be careful. Try not to do anything to stand out."

"Oh like that will be easy. Five strange people wearing cloaks with the hoods up on a sunny day. Yeah, we'll fit right in." Trista said sarcastically.

"Have you got a better idea?" Sarah said. Trista looked a little embarrassed.

"No." She said. "Sorry Becky, didn't mean to rain on you're parade."

"It's alright. Believe me, I wish there was another way, but I think this is our best bet right now. We don't know what's going on or who to trust." Becky said. The girls put the hoods up on their cloaks and exited the cottage. They followed a slightly overgrown path to the village. As they neared the entrance they slowed down. There didn't appear to be anyone guarding the front of the village, but they didn't want to be wrong.

"Looks like it's all clear to me." Amy said. They walked into to town unmolested. As they walked around they got a few strange looks, but otherwise no one bothered them.

"So now what?" Sarah asked.

"Let's see if we can find a marketplace or something. We can listen to people talking without being noticed. I don't think we want to just start going up to people and interrogating them." Becky said.

"Yeah, I can just picture it now. 'Excuse me sir, can you tell us where to find the big, scary lizard men?' That'll go over well." Trista said. They walked towards the center of town, which was a large square bordered by stalls and carts. Dozens of people filled the square, buying and selling goods. The air was filled with the sound of vendors trying to sell their wares.

"Fresh fruit! Gorka berries! Lildith fruit! I have it all!"

"Fine jewelry! Rare stones! I buy and sell!"

"Get your fish here! Fish so fresh you'll think they were swimming just minutes ago!"

"Perfect. Let's split up, but stay in sight of one another." Becky said. The girls spread out, looking for information. Becky moved towards the jewelry vendor and pretended to be looking at his merchandise. She wondered how long she should stand there before she moved on. Thankfully, she didn't have to consider it long as a conversation between two young women gave her plenty of information.

"Do you think the invaders will come here?" One woman asked.

"I wouldn't think so. This village is really far from the capital." The other answered.

"I don't know. I've heard that they've gone to towns a lot more remote then ours." The first said.

"Wow, that's scary. What's even scarier is that I've heard rumors that they take people from each village they go to and torture them!"

"Now I really hope they don't come here! Is there any news about the royal family?"

"None. But they must be dead, supposedly the castle was quickly overrun. I don't see how anyone could of gotten out."

"You there! You have a fine eye!" Becky was distracted by the jewelry vendor. She tried to refocus on the two chatting women, but they had walked off. "I can offer you that necklace for twenty silver pieces!"

"Hunh? Oh, no , no. I'm not looking to buy." Becky said quickly. She had noticed the necklace the vendor was holding up now earlier. A silver chain with a small bright blue gem dangling from it. She had to admit it was pretty, but she didn't have any of their money to but it

"Fifteen! A bargain!" The merchant said quickly, obviously eager to make a sale. "Come now, I'm sure a pretty woman like yourself could afford that!"

"Make it twelve and you have yourself a deal." Becky spun around at the sound of Lisa's voice behind her.

"Thirteen." The merchant countered immediately.

"Done." Lisa said. She pulled out a small leather bag and counted out thirteen silver coins that were in the shape of triangles with rounded corners. The merchant handed the necklace over and went to lock up the coins.

"Where did you get that money!?" Becky asked in shock.

"I found it in a pocket of my cloak. It's not much, but I bet it'll be handy to have some local currency on hand." Lisa said.

"But then why..?" Before Becky could finish the question Lisa pressed the necklace into her hands.

"Because you wanted it. I could tell." Lisa said. "I'll bet it'll look great on you."

"T.Thanks…" Becky stammered out. She could feel her face going red. "_A present for me! She got a present for me!_" The thought repeated itself over and over in her mind. The confusing thoughts flooded her mind once again. Becky quickly pushed them to the side, knowing it wasn't the time to deal with them. Becky then quickly relayed the conversation she had overheard only moments ago.

"I heard just about the same thing. It's all these people are talking about." Lisa said. Becky was about to say something when a man half ran, half stumbled into the marketplace. His demeanor suggested he was on the verge of total panic.

"Soldiers! The invaders! They've entered the village!" The effect was instant. People started screaming and running in every direction. Merchants grabbed their money and wares and disappeared. The townsfolk ran into their homes and locked the doors. Becky quickly caught the others eyes and directed them to a nearby alley. They all pushed their way through the frightened crowd. The five of them hid themselves in the shadows and waited to see what would happen. A group of about twenty men dressed in rough clothing and worn armor stormed into the square. The leader pointed and the warriors started spreading out and ransacking the marketplace.

"What the!? That's not the Shoran!" Trista said when they realized the newcomers were human.

"The Shoran must be working with these guys. Otherwise the townsfolk wouldn't be so frightened." Sarah said.

"Let's get out of here. We don't want to get into a fight, we don't know if there are more of them." Becky said. The girls turned and ran down the alley. It took them awhile to move through the town as they had to keep stopping to allow groups of soldiers to move past them. They paused at the edge of the village, made sure no one was around and made a mad dash for the forest.

"I can't help but worry for the villagers. From what I heard these guys are a real nasty piece of work." Amy said once they were back in the woods.

"We better get back to Kandrakar. I think the Oracle is going to want to hear about things as soon as possible." Becky was about to open a fold when shouts from deeper in the forest caught their attention. Without even discussing it the five of them headed towards the source of the noise. As they got closer the shouts were joined by the sounds of violent battle.

"Something big is going down!" Sarah said in alarm. The scene they ran into was total pandemonium. They entered a large clearing that was dotted with large boulders and a few scraggly trees. A group of roughly twenty people were backed up against a rocky ridgeline, surrounded by dozens of soldiers. The cornered people had formed a defensive ring with swords drawn. From underneath the defenders green cloaks the girls could see glimpses of silver armor. There was a desperate look to the defenders faces and already a couple of them were laying face down on the ground, pools of crimson forming beneath them. The girls could tell the attackers were just toying with their intended victims. Several of them had wicked grins on their faces, a few of them were actually laughing.

"Stand strong! Show these dogs what you're made of!" The speaker was standing behind the ring of defenders with a couple other people. From their position the girls couldn't tell much about them, though it did seem like the speaker wanted to be fighting beside the defenders instead of standing behind them. He had a sword in his hand a scowl on his face. The attackers had finally had enough playing around and started going after the defenders in masse.

"We've got to help them!" Lisa shouted out.

"Let's go Guardians!" Becky cried out. They instantly took off, flying close to the ground, their cloaks swirling in the air around them. "Hit them hard!" A couple of the attackers shouted out in alarm when they saw the girls racing towards them, but by then it was too late. The girls let their cloaks fall free, not wanting them to get in the way. Becky fired off a pair of lighting bolts into the center of the group, forcing them to scatter and break rank. Amy followed up by hitting them with a volley of water bolts. Sarah made earth columns pop up out of the ground causing further confusion among the attackers. The defenders weren't out of danger yet though. Their line had finally collapsed and they were desperately trying to fight a battle surrounded by aggressors. Seeing their plight Lisa and Trista flew to their aid. Lisa picked up individual soldiers with mini tornadoes and tossed them away. One of the people that had been standing behind the defensive line was trying to fight off a pair of enemies. He was doing alright until he tripped on a rock and fell backwards, dropping his sword in the process.

"Oof!" His hood fell away revealing a young man of about fifteen with short brown hair and blue eyes. His two attackers raised their swords to kill him, but Trista swooped in and saved him. She hit one in the jaw with a well placed fist and then spun around and kicked the other in the gut. Both fell to the ground unconscious.

"You alright!?" She said over her shoulder.

"Y..Yeah." The young man said in amazement. He quickly got up and picked up his sword. He stood looking at Trista for a moment before dashing off. Trista stood there confused for a second before rejoining the fight herself. The girls combined efforts were pushing the bad guys back. They formed their own line and poured the attacks on.

"We got them now!" Amy cried out in triumph. What none of them saw was a solitary soldier climbing up a large rock. Once on top he drew an arrow from a quiver at his waist. He placed it in his bow and pulled it back. Lisa glanced over and saw the archer about to shoot Becky.

"Lookout!" Lisa screamed just as he fired. Becky didn't even have time to look before she was shoved to the forest floor. Someone screamed and there was a sound of a body hitting the ground next to her. Becky scrambled to her feet, looking down she was horrified to see Lisa laying face down in the dirt, a small trickle of blood coming out from under her still form. Becky couldn't move, couldn't breath. She could feel her heart pounding inside her chest. The world around her had suddenly gone silent. She could see Amy and Sarah running to Lisa's side while Trista held off the enemy. Becky could see their mouths moving, but no sound came out. She looked at the soldier who had shot Lisa and suddenly she saw red. A vicious, primordial scream filled the air. A detached part of Becky's brain was shocked to realize it was coming from her. She raised her hands and fired off a powerful lighting bolt that obliterated the boulder the archer was standing on, sending him flying.

"Bastards!" Becky screamed at the top of her lungs. She flew up into the air and hovered in place. Electricity crackled in the air around her. The soldiers froze in place, frightened by what they saw. She fired several lighting bolts in rapid succession. The invaders scrambled to get to cover as destructive bolts of energy suddenly exploded all around them. Men, dirt, and rocks flew into the air as the ground erupted from the force of Becky's lighting.

"Becky! Take it easy!" Amy shouted out. Becky didn't seem to hear, she was lost in her rage. Trista and Sarah tried to calm her down as well, but were unable to get through to her.

"Becky! I'm all right! Please, calm down!" Becky instantly stopped and spun around at the sound of Lisa's voice. She zipped over to the girls and quickly checked on Lisa.

"Lisa! Are you alright!?" She grew frightened when she saw a jagged cut on Lisa's right arm which blood was leaking from. "Oh God! You're bleeding!"

"I'll be fine." Lisa said as she grimaced in pain. "The arrow only grazed me. I just collapsed from shock."

"Wow Becks! You sure did a number on those guys!" Trista said.

"What?" Trista pointed and Becky looked behind her. What she saw was truly frightening. The ground was charred black and full of holes. Tendrils of smoke wafted up from the charred earth. Men laid all about, groaning in pain. "Oh God! What have I done!?" Becky started shaking all over. She couldn't believe she had done something so terrible. She fell to her knees, tears falling from her eyes.

"Becky! It's okay! You just freaked out! We know you didn't mean to do that!" Amy said quickly, but Becky wasn't listening.

"I'm a monster. A real life monster." She mumbled.

"Are you ladies alright?" All five of them turned to face the person who had rallied the defenders. His hood was down now, showing the girls a young man in his early twenties. His rugged face was topped by black hair and had deep blue eyes.

"Lisa here is wounded, but not badly. The rest of us are okay." Sarah said. She eyed Becky sideways when she spoke, unsure if that last statement was correct in her case. Becky seemed a little calmer now, but Sarah could see the self-loathing in her friend's eyes, as did the others.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'm grateful that you came to our rescue, even though you don't know us." The man said. Three other people came walking up and the girls recognized them as the other people that had been standing behind the defenders. One was the young man that Trista had rescued. A eleven year old girl with short blonde hair and blue eyes stood beside him. She carried a spear and had a frown glued to her face. The girls figured the three of them must be siblings as there was a strong family resemblance to them, especially in the eyes. The third person was an older man with white hair and grey eyes. He was breathing heavy and was leaning on a staff topped with a ornate gold ball.

"Allow me to introduce myself and my companions." The black haired man said. "I am Chase Rolvac, crown prince of Eldrin." The girls looked at one another in surprise. "This is my brother Kaz." The brown haired teenager inclined his head. "Our little sister Nella." The girl slightly moved her hand in what might have been a wave. "And the gentleman out of breath is Lord Wogen, the royal councilor and a trusted advisor." The older man bowed at the mention of his name. "Might we know the name's of our saviors?"

"I'm Becky, and this is Lisa, Amy, Trista and Sarah." Becky said quickly, seeing an opportunity to get more info. "Uh, perhaps you could help us your majesty."

"Please, call me Chase. No titles, not between us."

"Well Chase, do you know anything about the Shoran?" Becky asked.

"The lizard men!? Why are you seeking those foul beasts?" Wogen shouted.

"That's a long story. So that means they are here then?" Becky said.

"Yes, but that too is a long story, one that should be saved for later. I must check on my men. Dix! Crowley!" Two soldiers came running over at Chase's call.

"So Trista, how does it feel to know you saved a prince's life?" Amy whispered into Trista's ear. Kaz glanced at Trista briefly, which Amy noticed, causing her to laugh a little. Trista just gave Amy a dirty look.

"How are the men?" Chase asked once the two soldiers arrived.

"We lost Raynor and Evan my Lord." One of the soldiers said sadly. Chase closed his eyes and bowed his head, as did Kaz. Nella got a sad look on her face and turned her head.

"I'm so sorry Chase." Lisa said.

"Thank you, they weren't the first and I fear they won't be the last." Chase said. "The others?"

"A few minor wounds, but nothing serious." The second soldier said.

"Very good. Prepare the men to move. We shouldn't remain here, the enemy could be back at any moment. Becky, you and your friends are more then welcome to come with us."

"Actually, we.." Becky was cut off by the cry of a horn in the distance.

"Damn! They're coming back for more already!" Kaz said with snarl as he drew his sword.

"Fine by me! I want a piece of them myself!" Nella shouted as she gripped the shaft of her spear tighter. The girls were surprised by the fierceness in the young princess's voice.

"Dix!" Chase said quickly. The first soldier scrambled up a nearby boulder and started scanning the area with a spyglass.

"At least a hundred of them about half a mile off and closing fast!" Dix called out.

"We must retreat. That's more then we can handle, even with these ladies powers." Chase said. "Becky, you and your friends should come with us. You've attacked their companions, which means they'll come after you now."

"Becky, we need to get them out of here." Amy said. But Becky wasn't listening, her gaze was once again locked on the scene of her rage. Amy could see the tears forming beneath Becky's eyes. "Becky!" Amy's shout snapped Becky back to reality.

"Oh! Right!" Becky said. "Chase! Bring everyone over here! I can get us out of here!"

"How!?"

"Watch." Becky then used the Heart to open a fold. Chase and his companions gaped in shock.

"Impossible!" Kaz shouted out.

"Where does that go!?" Chase asked.

"A place called Kandrakar." Becky said.

"Kandrakar! Then that must mean you're the Guardians!" Wogen shouted out.

"The Guardians!? Then we are truly fortunate!" Chase said excitedly. "Dix! Get everyone down here quickly!"

"We're leaving!? But what about our homeland!? Our people!?" Kaz shouted angrily.

"I don't like the thought of leaving either brother. I'm not abandoning anything, but we can't help our people if we're dead. We must retreat, regroup and come up with a new plan." Kaz obviously wasn't happy, but he nodded in acceptance. Dix arrived with the soldiers, a couple of them were limping. "Quickly! Everyone through here!" Chase said. A few of the men looked at the fold questioningly, but did as their leader ordered. One by one everyone jumped through the fold until only Chase and the girls were left.

"I am truly in your debt now. You've saved the lives of my friends and family. I can only hope I can find a way to repay you all." Chase then stepped through the fold.

"Wow, didn't expect that." Trista said. The horn sounded out again, only closer.

"We better go, they'll be here soon." Becky said. The girls hopped into the fold. Just before Becky went through she took one more look at the battleground and felt anew the shame and regret of her actions. She stepped through and the fold closed behind her.

When Becky arrived the council chamber had become a scene of chaos. The Oracle and Lillian were moving among the soldiers using their powers to heal wounds. Yan Lin, Halinor and Cassidy were off to one side discussing what the arrival of the newcomers meant. Luba and Tibor were nowhere in sight, Becky guessed they were off preparing a place for Chase and his men. Becky saw Will searching through the throng of people frantically. Will spotted Becky and quickly pushed her way through the crowd of people.

"Becky! Oh thank God! Some of the soldiers said one of you girls was hurt and I was so scared!" Will said in a rush as she threw herself on Becky.

"I'm fine mom, but Lisa needs her arm looked at." Becky said as she hugged Will back.

"Oracle!" Will called out. The Oracle looked up and made his way over to the girls. He quickened his pace once he noticed the blood on Lisa's arm. Without saying anything he examined Lisa's wound for a moment before placing his had a couple of inches above the cut. His hand started glowing bright blue. Lisa felt a sense of warmth on her skin and then the pain vanished. When the Oracle removed his hand the injury was completely healed.

"Wow, magic is pretty cool, there isn't even a scar." Lisa said. The Oracle nodded, but quickly moved to the matter at hand.

"I take it you ran into some problems over there." He said. Becky just nodded.

"I'm sorry I brought Chase and his people here without talking to you first, but we didn't have much time to think things through." Becky said.

"It's quite alright. You did what you felt you had to do. I am not angry. But from what little I've gathered one of my worst fears has been confirmed. Eldrin has been invaded and taken over."

"You are correct sir." Chase, Kaz, Nella, and Lord Wogen had walked up behind them. "Our world was invaded about a month ago. Our forces met them valiantly, but were ultimately defeated. Our father the king was killed when the castle fell. I saw he die with my own eyes at the hands of the leader of the invaders."

"You have my sympathy." The Oracle said. "What can you tell us about those that invaded your homeland?"

"I know very little, and I am willing to share what information I have with you. But I ask that it wait until my men and I have had a chance to rest. We have been running from them for weeks, and have lost several friends. We are tired both physically and mentally. I would wait until we have had a chance to recuperate." Chase said.

"Of course. I'm sure the girls would like a chance to rest as well." the Oracle said.

"Defiantly." Becky said. Becky raised the Heart and turned them back into their normal forms.

"What is this!? The Guardians are just children!?" Wogen shouted in outrage when he saw the girls were younger then he had thought.

"Wogen, be at ease. There is no reason to be upset. These girls saved our lives. They have shown great courage in the face of danger. They should be praised, not ridiculed." Chase said. Becky didn't agree however. She had been growing more uncomfortable by the second, and she couldn't take it anymore.

"Oracle, I have to resign as Keeper of the Heart! I'm not fit to be a Guardian!" She shouted out suddenly.

"What are you talking about!?" Will said.

"I, I went crazy out there! I could of killed someone!" Becky was hysterical now. "I don't want to become another Nerissa!" She took the Heart off and shoved it into the Oracle's hands. She ran off, ignoring the voices of her friends. Becky ran blindly through the hall of the temple, at one point she nearly ran over Luba. She eventually ended up in garden. Out of breath, she collapsed near the pond. She was on her knees crying for a long time. She might of stayed there forever if the Oracle, Will and Lisa hadn't found her. Will knelt down besides Becky and wrapped her arms around her. She gently rocked Becky and whispered comforting words to her until she eventually calmed down and stopped crying.

"The girls told us what happened." Will said gently.

"Yeah, that I'm a monster." Becky said.

"That isn't true!" Lisa cried out. "We know you didn't mean for that to happen!"

"I agree. You saw someone you care about get hurt and it angered you. It does not mean you are going down the same path that Nerissa did. I do not see the same lust for power in you that she had. I am confidant that this was a one time thing. I know you won't repeat those actions." The Oracle placed the Heart back in Becky's hands. Becky looked at it and hesitantly put it back on.

"Battle is a scary thing honey. Seeing someone close to you hurt can have a profound effect on a person. I know because I've gone through that. I'd be more worried if you didn't react." Will hugged Becky even closer.

"I don't know…" Becky moaned.

"Can you leave us alone for a minute?" Lisa said. The Oracle and Will got up and left the two girls to talk by themselves. Lisa sat down and looked Becky in the eye. "What happened to not being so hard on yourself?"

"You don't understand Lisa. I could of really hurt someone, I was so angry. I might of even hurt you or one of the others!" Becky said.

"But you didn't. There's no point in worrying about what you might of done. And don't go thinking that we're scared of you, if anything we're scared for you!"

"Really?"

"Yes! I don't like seeing the pain and hurt in your eyes! It hurts me to see you suffering! You need to relax more!" Becky smiled a little and Lisa wiped the tears from her face. "Where's that necklace I got you? Can I see it?" Becky pulled it out of a pocket and handed it over. Lisa took it and gently put it around Becky's neck.

"It looks good on you." Lisa said. Becky blushed and began to slowly roll the blue gem in-between he finger and thumb.

"Thank you, for everything. Just promise me you won't jump in front of anymore arrows."

"No can do." Lisa said. "I'm going to see what the girls want for dinner, you coming?"

"Not yet, I want to think about things for a minute."

"Okay, but don't take to long, I'm starving." Lisa said before she walked off.

Becky watched her friend go. She couldn't help but be amazed at how wonderful Lisa was. She was so beautiful, yet she wasn't arrogant or vain. She had such a kind heart. She never liked to see anyone in pain, she always did her best to make people feel better about things. It was all that and more that made her love Lisa. Becky instantly froze at the sudden thought. A thought she instantly tried to deny, but couldn't.

"Oh my God." It came to her in a second. It all made sense to her now. The strange sensations in her stomach whenever she was around Lisa, the confusing thoughts, her lack of interest in boys. It all made perfect sense. She was a lesbian, and she was in love with Lisa. She grabbed her head started shaking it violently. She was totally disgusted with herself. Every shred of self-worth she had worked so hard to build vanished in an instant. She had no idea of what to do. If she admitted it to anyone they would turn away from her in a second, she'd lose everything. And the one thing that hurt the most was the thought that Lisa could never love her back.

**Chapter 11 ends on kind of a bad note, I know. Just some final notes. I thought about adding the lyrics to 'Murder On the Dancefloor' (A rather good song in my opion) but didn't because I've tried writing songfics in the past and they've always been a total disastor! Also, I wasn't that happy with the description of Becky and Lisa's dance number, but I couldn't find a way to improve upon it. Any suggestions for future referance would be appreciated.**

**Okay! Preview time! Next chapter Becky deals with her love for Lisa and the truth is going to come out! What come of this confession? Well, you'll just have to wait and see! I'll have the chapter up as soon as possible!**


	12. Chapter 12 Heart's Desire

**Hello! Shocklance here with the latest chapter in the saga of B.L.A.S.T.! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I thought I would have this chapter up sooner then now, but once agian the pressures of work got in the way!**

**As always a few pieces of buissnes. First off thank you's and welcome's got out to new reviewers. The first goes to HoboLover, welcome! The other goes to NavyBlueDreamsandKhakiThoughts who is actually a friend of mine from Wal-Mart! (Thanks for reading Brandy! I'm glad you like my story!) A special thanks goes out to DayDreamer9 who pointed out a grammar mistake I made last chapter. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, it came pretty easy too since I've been going over the events for it for months! As always, give me some reviews so I know how I'm doing! **

Chapter 12: Heart's Desire

Becky ran for all she was worth. The only sounds were her feet hitting the dirt of the forest path and her sobs echoing off of the trees. Everything was ruined, everything. Her worst fears had been confirmed, she had dared to tell her friends and family she was a lesbian and it had been a total disaster. Even now everyone's hate filled words raced through her mind, images of their angry faces floated by as they spoke in her mind.

"Eww, gross! I can't believe I hung around with you!" Trista's face was twisted in revulsion.

"Oh my God! That's sick!" Sarah wouldn't even look at her.

"You freak! I'm sorry I ever tried to befriend you!" Amy looked like she was about to throw up.

"I can't believe this! If I had known I would of just dumped you in the snow and let you freeze to death!" Will's face had contorted into the same hate filled look that her birth mother had always had.

"I'm going to be sick! I always knew there was something wrong with you! You disgust me! You were probably watching me when we showered in the locker room at school!" Lisa's face was full of a rage that Becky would of never of thought possible from her. "I should of never been so nice to you! Get away from me! I never want to see you again!"

The painful words slashed at her soul, tearing her apart inside. Will and Lisa's words hurt the most, they cut the deepest of them all. There had been other consequences as well. The Oracle took the Heart away from her, saying that the guardians couldn't function with her leading them. The disappointment on his face destroyed her. She had been expelled from school. The teachers had actually bodily dragged her from the building in front of the entire student body. Will kicked her out of their apartment and had the locks changed. There was nothing left for her now. She had to run, and keep running for all eternity. She stopped dead in her tracks when Stacey jumped out directly in her path. The cheerleader had a wicked grin of triumph on her face.

"I knew you were a piece of trash! I knew it!" As she spoke Stacey grew taller, towering over Becky. Or was she just shrinking? "You should of never of tried to fit in! You're a worthless piece of scum! No one can care for a sicko like you!" Becky was crying even harder now. It all rang true in her head, which made it hurt even worse. "But never let it be said I'm without mercy! I will end your suffering, once and for all. It will be over quickly!" A giant mallet appeared in Stacey's hands, who was now over twenty feet tall. Becky lowered her eyes, resigned to her fate. "Just die already!" Stacey swung the mallet with all her strength.

Becky bolted upright in her bed, her skin covered in a cold sweat. She exhaled slowly, trying to calm her pounding heart. It was just a nightmare she told herself, but in her mind she couldn't help but worry it represented a real reaction everyone would have if she told them the truth about herself. She pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her face in her knees. Tears began to flow from her eyes, it seemed like that all she had been doing was crying for days. A glance at her alarm clock told her it was five in the morning. She'd have to get up in a couple of hours in order to get ready for school, something she wasn't looking forward too. Becky laid back down and tried to go back to sleep, but she couldn't, the memories from the last few days just wouldn't go away. Ever since she had discovered the truth about her sexuality her whole world had fallen apart.

Once she had realized the truth Becky had just sat by the garden pool in a state of shock. She had felt numb all over, not knowing what to think or do. Only when she remembered that the others were waiting for her did she start moving. She was oblivious to everything around her as she slowly shambled her way back to the council chamber. She barely registered Tibor and Luba speaking to her as she walked by. Had she been paying any attention she would seen the confused and worried look on their faces. She managed to compose herself somewhat before entering the room. Chase and his group were gone by this point, taken to their rooms so they could recover from their ordeal. Most of the council was gone as well, only the Oracle and Yan Lin remained. They were talking to Will, the girls, and the rest of the gang. Their conversation was lost to Becky, who wasn't really paying attention to what they were discussing. All she could do was focus on Lisa, the girl she was in love with. She involuntary shuddered when the thought crossed her mind. She fought to keep her emotions from spiraling out of control again, but it was hard, very hard.

"Oh! There you are Becky!" Lisa shouted out when she noticed Becky standing in the doorway. Her smile slowly slid from her face. She walked away from the group and went to Becky's side. "Hey, is everything alright? You don't look so good."

"I…I'm fine." Becky lied. She tried to sound cheerful, but it didn't work all that well, her voice breaking as she spoke.

"No you're not, I can tell." Lisa took Becky's hand in her own. Her touch sent electric shivers up Becky's spine. Becky quickly pulled away, and turned her head, not wanting Lisa to see her blush. "Becky, what's going on? Are you still upset over what happened back on Eldrin?" Becky had completely forgotten about that. That whole event seemed so far in the past, even though it had only happened a couple of hours ago.

"No, I'm over that, really." The statement had a ring of truth to it, so Lisa believed Becky this time. She was far from done however.

"Okay, so what's got you so upset then?" Lisa asked.

"Nothing, I swear!" Becky said a little more loudly then she had intended, which drew the notice of the others.

"Is everything okay?" Will asked. Her first thought was the same as Lisa's, that Becky was still upset about her act of rage.

"Something is upsetting her, but she won't tell me what." Lisa said before Becky could respond. Will instantly walked over to the two girls. Everyone else was watching Becky now.

"Becky, sweetie, what's going on?" Will asked, her voice full of concern.

"Nothing! I'm fine!" Becky could feel everyone's eyes on her, making her uncomfortable. She had to get out of there, she couldn't take it.

"No you're not! Please tell me what's wrong!" Lisa shouted out in fear.

"Please! Just leave me alone!" Becky screamed at the top of her lungs. Lisa quickly jumped backwards, shocked at Becky's outburst. Becky looked around, seeing looks of surprise on people's faces. To her it looked like they were accusing her of something, even though they didn't know anything. Becky turned back around to face Lisa who had a look of real hurt on her face. Becky felt terrible about snapping at Lisa like she had. Lisa turned around and hung her head.

"Okay Becky, if that's what you really want." Becky had never heard Lisa sound like that. The pain in her voice was palpable, and it scared Becky.

"I'm sorry Lisa." Becky said as the blonde walked away. "It's just been a long day, let's just go home, okay?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever." Lisa said. Sarah, Trista, and Amy kept looking back and forth between the other two, unsure what to do. Becky could feel tears forming once again, she turned away, not wanting anyone to see. She silently opened a fold back to Earth and went through.

"So, uh, we were thinking about going for pizza, you in Becky?" Amy asked, trying to break the awkward tension that had cropped up once they were back in the basement of the Silver Dragon.

"I think I'm going to pass. I'm not felling up to it anymore." Lisa said. Without another word she turned and walked up the stairs.

"Lisa hold up a sec!" Trista said before she ran after the retreating Air Guardian.

"I think I'm out as well. I don't think I'll be much fun tonight." Becky said.

"Okay, if you're sure. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Amy said. Becky just made a noncommittal gesture and walked away with a very concerned Will close behind. On the car ride home Will tried to engage Becky in conversation, but with no success. Becky just sat there in her own little world. When they got home Becky went strait to her room and shut the door. She just looked out the window as a heavy rain began to fall from dark clouds in the sky. She made a vow right then, that she would never do anything to ever hurt Lisa again, especially by telling her how she felt about her. She could never tell anyone. No one could ever know the truth about her, it would destroy her life.

Becky spent all of Sunday locked in her room. Her friends tried various ways of communicating with her. They first tried calling the apartment, but Becky refused to take their calls. When they tried calling her cell phone Becky just turned it off and let their calls go to voice mail. Finally Trista tried contacting her telepathically, but Becky just tuned her out. Will tried talking to her as well, but it was hard trying to start a conversation through a wooden barrier with a girl who didn't want to talk.

The next day Becky had to go back to school, which was something she wasn't looking forward too. The girls would undoubtedly be waiting outside her apartment building, wanting to talk. Becky knew she couldn't face them. She especially didn't want to look into Lisa's eyes and see the hurt that was sure to still be there. All through breakfast Becky refused to answer any of Will's questions. She didn't like making her adoptive mother worry, but she was more of afraid of Will rejecting her for being a lesbian. A part of her wanted to tell Will, but another was scared to death of the idea. As expected, her friends were just outside the main doors to the building. Becky watched them a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping outside.

"Becky!" Amy called when she spotted her friend. Becky didn't say anything, she just ignored her friends pleas for her to stop and talk to them. She quickened her pace and got away from them as fast as she could. At school she avoided them as much as possible. She ducked around corners to avoid being spotted by them in the halls. In class she wouldn't meet their gaze. At lunch she found the most remote spot possible so they couldn't corner her and make her talk. She did the same thing Tuesday. During history Amy slipped her a note that begged her to talk to them. Becky just crumpled the note and stuck it in her pocket. Wednesday went the same. Stacey, seeing that Becky was no longer hanging out with her friends, took the opportunity to attack her.

"What's the matter Vandom!? Did your friends finally figure you're a waste of space and drop you!?" Stacey yelled for the whole school to hear. Thursday morning Becky was surprised to find that the girls weren't outside waiting for her. At first she thought they were going to ambush her, but there was no sign of them. At school she saw them, but they didn't even try to talk to her. Becky guessed they had finally given up on her, that they were tired of trying. Becky hung her head and cried. She knew it was over then. Nothing would ever be the same again. She started making plans to visit Kandrakar that weekend and resign as the leader of the Guardians for good this time. There was no way she could lead the others if they didn't even want to be around her.

Becky looked at her clock again, surprised to see it was already six. She flopped backwards onto her pillow and stared up at the ceiling. She was more confused then she had ever been before. She didn't know which way to go or who to turn to. Things would have been so much simpler if she had never realized she was in love with Lisa. Through it all she had tried to forget about her feelings for Lisa, but that had proven impossible. Even when she had her mind on other things her thoughts wandered to thoughts of Lisa. It had only been a few days since this had all began, but it felt like an eternity had passed by.

She tried rolling over and going back to sleep, but couldn't. She finally gave up and crawled out of bed. She was glad it was Friday, after today she could take care of things. She'd go to Kandrakar, return the Heart to the Oracle and walk away. After that, she could put it all behind her and try to forget.

"Hey." Becky looked up in surprise as she left the bathroom. Will was standing just outside her bedroom, still dressed in her PJ's. Even in the darkness Becky could see the worry on her face.

"Oh, mom. What are you doing up?" Becky asked. She thought about going back to her room, but something stopped her.

"I could ask you the same thing." Will took a couple of hesitant steps towards Becky. "I heard you get up, so I thought I should check on you."

"Oh…" Becky bit her lip, not knowing what else to say.

"Can we talk? Please?" Will asked in a pleading tone. Becky just nodded. They went to the kitchen and Will made some tea. She sat a steaming mug in front of Becky and took a seat directly across from her.

"So, are you ready to talk about it?" Will said, trying to start the conversation.

"I, I don't think I can."

"Why not? I can't help you if I don't know what's got you so upset."

"You'd hate me if I did." Becky said. A single salty tear fell from her face into her drink.

"What!? Becky, that's just not true! There's nothing you could tell me that would make me hate you!" Will reached across the table and grasped Becky's hand. "You can tell me anything Becky! I love you and I want to make things right!"

"This isn't something you can help me fix."

"How do you know until you try?"

"Because I just know. I know I've got you very worried about me, and I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you, but I can't. I'm too afraid." Will sighed sadly at Becky's statement.

"Can you talk to your friends about it?"

"Even if I could, they've given up on me."

"Now that I know isn't true. Amy called me last night, asking if I knew anything, she and the others are worried sick about you. Listen, what ever you're going through you don't have to go through it alone. Let us in, please."

"I don't know, I really don't. But, I'll think about it, okay?"

"That's all I ask. Why don't you go ahead and get ready for school. And think about what we talked about." As Becky stood under the hot water of the shower she turned her thoughts to what she should do. She hated not being with her friends, she was so lonely without them. And more importantly she wanted to see Lisa again. To see her laugh and smile, to apologize for yelling at her. She loved Lisa so much it hurt. But she was afraid as well, afraid of what might happen if she told them the truth. As she got out of the shower an idea came to her, a possible solution to this whole mess. Things could still go wrong, they probably would. But even if they did, she could settle it and move on, one way or another. Just before school got out she snuck a note into Amy's locker, asking her to meet her after school, alone.

Becky stood on a bridge, looking at the reflection of the setting sun in the water below. She was having second thoughts about this whole thing, wondering if she was making the right choice. She was thinking about going home when the decision was taken out of her hands.

"Becky!" Amy yelled as she came running up the sidewalk. She grabbed Becky and pulled her into a fierce hug. "I'm so relieved when I found your note! You don't know how worried we've been about you!"

"I'm sorry Amy, I really am. I've got to admit that I thought you guys had given up on me when you stopped trying to talk to me." Becky said.

"I'm sorry about that. When we couldn't get through to you Sarah suggested we try ignoring you and hope you would come to us, guess it worked." Amy said. "Lisa will be so happy, believe me."

"She's not mad at me anymore?" Becky asked.

"No, she was over it the next day and right back to worrying about you. So, you ready to tell us what's got you so twisted in a knot?"

"Kind of…" Becky said.

"Well, spill it already!"

"I'm in love."

"Becky! That's fantastic! But why would that freak you out!?" Amy cried out happily. She and Becky sat down on a nearby bench.

"Because it's someone I shouldn't be in love with."

"What? Does he already have a girlfriend?"

"No, they're single." Becky said.

"Well who is it? Maybe I can help you hook up with him! If he's single what's the problem!?"

"Like I said, it's someone I can't be in love with. Besides, they could never have feelings for me." Becky said sadly.

"Becky, I don't understand. Why won't you tell me who it is?"

"Because if I did, you'd never want to talk to me again."

"Becky, we're best friends! You can tell me anything!" Amy said, echoing Will's words from earlier in the day. "If you weren't planning giving me the whole story, then why call me out here?"

"Because I need some advice. I don't know what to do. All can think about is the person I love. But it hurts because I know I can never tell them."

"Becky, if you love this guy, you need to tell him. The sooner, the better, because I can tell this is tearing you up inside. You say it's wrong to love this person, but you know what? Love is never wrong. It may not always work out, but that's no reason to not go after it. If you don't you could miss out on something special." Becky looked up at Amy for a second before she lowered her head again and spoke.

"But what if I tell this person and it makes people hate me?"

"Why would that happen?" Becky just shook her head and refused to answer. "Okay, you asked for advice, and here it is. Go for it. Take a chance. Even if it doesn't work out, at least you'll know. I know you say things will go south if you do, but I honestly don't think that'll happen."

"Thanks Amy, I appreciate it."

"No problem, that's what best friends are for. I'm just glad you finally decided to talk about it. Oh! I almost forgot! We're having a sleepover at Lisa's tomorrow night, you want to come? I know everyone will be glad to see you."

"Yeah, I'd like that." Becky said. She was finally beginning to feel better about things. She wasn't sure if she was going to take Amy's advice, but she no longer felt like she had to hide from her or the others. "I've got to get home. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Okay, see you then." Amy said as Becky got up and left. She sat there and tried to figure out who Becky was in love with. It couldn't be Chad, there was no way she would fall for that brain dead lummox. A few possibilities came to mind, but Becky had never so much as looked at any of them in that way. The only person she could even think of that Becky had ever stared at was… Amy jumped to her feet as she figured it all out in a instant. "So that's, which means, oh Becky, no wonder you've been so messed up lately. You've should of just told us, we wouldn't of been mad." She said to herself, a smile forming on her face. She pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial, a plan forming in her head.

"Hey, Trista, it's Amy. Yeah, I talked to her. No, she didn't tell me anything, at least not directly, but I figured it out anyways. I know what to do now. I'm going to call Sarah and have her meet us at your place. I'll tell you guys everything once we're all there. And whatever you do, don't call Lisa. It'll mess everything up if you do. I'll be there soon." Amy hung up and called Sarah, after she finished she headed for Trista's house. "You better take this opportunity I'm giving you Becky, because if you don't I'm going to lock you in a closet with Lisa until you tell her everything!"

"Have fun honey!" Will said the next evening as Becky got out of the car. Will was ecstatic that Becky was talking to her friends again. She hadn't pushed to find out what Becky's problem was, figuring that if she was talking to the girls she would eventually confide in her as well.

"I will mom! See you tomorrow!" Becky said. She readjusted the rolled up sleeping bag under her arm and headed for the front door of Lisa's house. She rang the doorbell and a moment later Helen answered the door.

"Hello Becky, come on in. Lisa is up in her room. You can put your things there." Helen said. She stepped aside and let Becky in. She closed the door and went back towards the kitchen. Becky watched her go, after she was out of sight Becky took a deep breath and headed up the stairs. When she reached Lisa's room she knocked on the door. There was the sound of someone running across the room and a second later the door flew open.

"Becky! I'm so glad to see you!" Lisa grabbed Becky and pulled her into a hug. Becky's heart started pounding inside her chest. She did her best to stay calm and keep her pulse from racing out of control. She had to keep it together, no matter what.

"I'm glad to see you too." Becky said once Lisa let her go. She stepped into Lisa's room and put her stuff down on the floor. "Look, Lisa, about the other day…"

"Forget it. It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're here."

"I take it I'm the first one here, where are the others?" Becky asked.

"Actually, it's just you and me tonight." Lisa said. Becky froze in place.

"Come again?" She said with a strained voice.

"Yeah, it was the strangest thing. Amy, Sarah and Trista all called me last night and said they couldn't make it tonight. When I asked why they just said something came up and they couldn't come." Lisa said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Do you know anything about it?"

"Uhh, no." Becky kept her face neutral, but inside she was panicking. She was going to be stuck in the house all night with Lisa, alone! Becky had thought it wouldn't be so bad to be around the girl she loved if the others were there. But the situation was totally different now. Just looking at Lisa sent her heart racing. Becky knew she had to keep it together, she'd just have to do her best to keep her emotions in check.

"Weird. Well, we can have plenty of fun without those party poopers." Lisa said. "You hungry?"

"Yeah, actually."

"Cool, my mom ordered a pizza for us. It should be here soon."

"Great, can I get something to drink though? I'm really thirsty." Becky's throat had suddenly gone dry.

"No prob. I'll grab us a couple of sodas. Sit tight, I'll be right back." Lisa left, leaving Becky alone for a minute. She sighed and started pacing back and forth, trying to remain calm. She couldn't back out now. For the first time she wondered what happened to the others. It didn't make sense that they would just decide not to come at the last minute like that. Before she could ponder the question further Lisa returned carrying a pair of sodas and a pizza box.

"Dinner is served!" She said. She set the pizza down before tossing one of the soda cans to Becky. "You want to watch some movies?" Becky nodded yes, thinking that if she was distracted by the movies she wouldn't be so focused on Lisa. The blonde popped a DVD into the player and started it up. Lisa plopped down on her bed to watch and Becky reluctantly joined her. She kept as far from Lisa as possible, afraid of what might happen if she was too close. The movie started up and the two of them settled in to watch. Soon the two of them were munching on pizza and laughing at the comedy Lisa has chosen. When it was over Lisa selected a romantic movie from her collection. This one was harder for Becky because she kept replacing the two main characters with herself and Lisa. By the time it was over it was getting late. The next movie was a horror flick. Becky got nervous when Lisa turned off the lights and pulled the covers up over the both of them. Lisa scooted up next to Becky, she was so close Becky cold smell the scent of Lisa's shampoo. She tried moving away, but the bed wasn't that big and Lisa kept closing the distance. When the psychopath killer jumped out and started slaughtering one of the characters Lisa screamed and grabbed Becky and pulled her close. She could feel Lisa's beating heart, or was it her own? She started to shiver at the feel of Lisa's arms around her. Lisa's face was so close to her own, her lips inches away. If she just leaned in a little bit…

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Both girls jumped as the door to Lisa's room opened up and Helen appeared. Lisa let Becky go and moved away. Becky felt both relived and disappointed at the loss of contact.

"Sorry mom, we're just watching a scary movie." Lisa said sheepishly.

"Well keep it down. Your father and I are trying to sleep. You two should probably think about getting to bed yourselves, it's really late." Helen closed the door behind her.

"She's right, I am kind of sleepy." Becky said.

"Yeah, me too." Lisa shut off the movie and the two of them started getting ready for bed. Becky unrolled her sleeping bag and placed it on the floor as far as possible from Lisa's bed. She groaned internally when Lisa laid out her own sleeping bag next to hers.

"Don't you want to sleep on your bed?" Becky asked as casually as possible.

"It's not fair for you to sleep on the floor all by yourself." Becky went to her backpack and pulled out her sleep clothes. When she turned back around she gasped when she saw Lisa pulling off her clothes. Her back was to Becky as she pulled off her shirt revealing her bra. Becky wanted to look away, but she couldn't. Lisa then took off her pants leaving her in only her white cotton panties. Becky was breathing a little faster now, over the past few days she had been having dreams just like this, but they paled in comparison to the real thing. When Lisa reached around her back to take off her bra Becky finally turned away and rushed to the bathroom. She shut the door behind her and snapped the light on. She struggled to calm herself down. Looking in the mirror she saw her face was flushed, a couple of drops of sweat forming on her forehead. After regaining her composure she changed her clothes and returned to Lisa's room.

"Hey." Becky said when she returned.

"Hey yourself, you okay?" Lisa asked. The young Air Guardian was now dressed in a white tank top and a very small pair of yellow shorts. Becky did her best to not let her eyes roam.

"I'm fine. I just needed to go real bad, way too much soda." Becky said quickly. Lisa nodded and turned off the lights. Both girls crawled into their sleeping bags and got settled. Becky wanted to go to sleep, but she couldn't. The same could be said for Lisa. The two just laid there for awhile before Lisa finally decided to speak.

"I've been really worried about you, you know?" Lisa said. They looked at each other, their eyes having adjusted to the lack of light.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I've been going through some stuff, and it messed me up."

"And now?"

"Well, I'm not sure. I'm still trying to sort through some things." Becky grew nervous when Lisa slid closer.

"What sort of things?" She asked.

"I… I discovered something about myself that freaked me out." Becky could fell her face turning red again, she hoped Lisa couldn't see the change. She knew she shouldn't be saying this much, but for some reason she couldn't help it.

"Does it have to do with what happened back on Eldrin?"

"Not really." Lisa scooted even closer, their bodies touching through their sleeping bags.

"Well then what is it?" Lisa was right in Becky's face. All Becky could focus on was Lisa's lips. "C'mon, tell me." Becky couldn't stop herself. She darted in and kissed Lisa. Becky reveled in the soft, petal like feel to Lisa's lips. It felt wonderful to finally be kissing her. It was over as quickly as it began, Becky pulled away and the enormity of what she had just done hit her like a ton of bricks. She quickly rolled away, screaming at herself for her stupidity. She had wrecked everything. She clenched her eyes shut, tears of regret forming.

"I'm sorry Lisa! I shouldn't of done that! I couldn't help it! I just, the thing is…" Becky tried to speak, to find the words that would fix things, but her tongue was tied. It was then the talk she'd had with Amy the day before came back to her. Seeing as how she had messed everything up already she might as well finish the job. "It's just, well, I love you Lisa!" She started sobbing uncontrollably, waiting for Lisa to start yelling, to tell her she hated her. She stopped crying however when she felt Lisa gently touch her on the shoulder. She slowly rolled back over, unsure what to expect. Lisa had an unsure smile on her face and tears of joy in her eyes. For the first time since she had learned the truth of her feelings, Becky dared to hope.

"You, you really love me?" Lisa asked in a shaky, unsure voice.

"Yes, I do." Becky said in barely a whisper. Lisa squealed and threw her arms around Becky, pulled her head in and kissed Becky passionately. Becky eyes went wide in shock, but she quickly let it go and focused on kissing Lisa, trying to take in every sensation she could. When it was over their lips parted, but their arms remained wrapped around each other.

"Becky, I love you to." Lisa said with a huge smile on her face. With those words Becky's heart soared. All the doubt and pain was washed away by those simple, wonderful words. She loved Lisa, and amazingly, Lisa loved her back. The two started to kiss again. They shrugged out of the sleeping bags and pulled each other close. They could fell the heat of each other as their bodies entwined. No more words were needed right then. They just laid there and delighted in the feel of their love for one another.

Becky slowly awoke the next morning. Sunlight streamed in through the gap in the curtains, forming puddles of light on the floor. Becky yawned and turned to look at Lisa who was still sleeping. The wonderful memory of the pervious night came to mind. It seemed so unreal that for a moment Becky wondered if was just a dream.

"Mmm, Becky, I love you." Lisa said in her sleep. Becky smiled, knowing know that it wasn't a dream. She leaned down and gently kissed Lisa on the cheek.

"I love you to." Becky said quietly, not wanting to wake Lisa up. She sat there for awhile just watching her love sleep. After a bit Lisa began to stir. She yawned and stretched as she came awake.

"Morning." She said with a smile when she saw Becky.

"Morning." Becky said back. They briefly kissed.

"So, where do we go from here?" Lisa asked. Becky had been considering this question and she knew what she wanted, but was it what Lisa wanted as well?

"I, I want to be your girlfriend." Becky said hesitantly. Lisa reached out and took Becky's hand. She had a huge grin on her face.

"I want that too." She said. Becky cried out in joy and pulled Lisa in for another kiss. It would of gone on for awhile if Lisa didn't gently push Becky back. "We better not, I don't want my mom to catch us." She said sheepishly.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Becky bit her lip and blushed a little.

"It's okay, you don't know how long I've dreamed of kissing you, it's just that I'm not ready for my parents to find out about me, about us." Lisa said, she was blushing as well now. "I, I don't really want it getting out that I'm a lesbian."

"Believe me, I understand. But I have to tell my mom, this isn't something I can hide from her. She's been really worried about me." Becky said.

"That's fine. I don't have a problem with Will knowing. I think we have to tell Amy and the others as well." Lisa said.

"Yeah, I think you're right. I'm just worried about how they'll react." Becky said.

"Well, there's only one way to find out. So who do you want to go to first? The girls or your mom?" Becky twisted her lip in thought for a moment before answering.

"My mom. It'll be a little harder to tell her I think and I want to get it over with." Becky finally said.

"Works for me. Let's have breakfast and then we'll head over to your place." They shared a brief peck on the lips and Lisa went to get them something to eat. A few minutes later Lisa returned carrying a tray with a couple of bowls of cereal, orange juice and toast. As the two of them ate they talked and laughed and shared a couple more brief kisses. After eating the two of them started getting ready to go. Becky was a little bashful about changing in front of Lisa. Lisa however, was completely comfortable with the whole situation. Becky had to admit Lisa defiantly wasn't shy, and she was sure she caught Lisa taking a couple of quick peeks.

When they were ready they said goodbye to Helen. She offered to give the girls a ride, but they declined, saying they wanted to walk. Once they were out of sight of Lisa's house the two of them joined hands and Becky rested her head on Lisa's shoulder.

"I'm guessing you just figured out you were a lesbian." Lisa said as they walked.

"Yeah, that's why I was so stressed out the other night at Kandrakar. I thought I was a freak for being in love with you. How about you, when did you figure out you were into girls?"

"When I was twelve. I had never felt any kind of interest in guys and one day it just came to me. For awhile I felt like you did. That I was some kind of monster. But eventually I just accepted it as a part of myself. It's just not something I've been willing to broadcast to the world." Lisa said.

"When did you fall in love with me?" Becky asked.

"From the first moment I saw you in the arcade. There was just something about you and I knew that I loved you. I couldn't explain it, and I really didn't want too. I was so happy when I saw you standing there with Amy and the others your first day of school. I was relived as well. I regretted not talking to you at the arcade. What about you? When did you fall in love with me?"

"The same time as you, though I obviously didn't realize it at that moment. And I think seeing you do your gymnastics routine for the first time sealed the deal."

"Oh, so you like seeing me in skin tight leotards." Lisa said playfully. Becky instantly went red in the face. A sudden image of Lisa in her gymnastics uniform flashed through her mind. "Un-hunh, that's what I thought." Both girls started giggling. The rest of the walk was spent in silence. They stopped in front of Becky's building and looked up towards her apartment.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this." Becky said.

"Don't worry, I'll be there with you. Besides, Will doesn't seem like the type of person to get mad at you for this sort of thing." Lisa squeezed Becky's hand and they went inside.

"Mom! You home!?" Becky called out once the door closed behind them. Will stepped out of the kitchen with a towel in her hand.

"Hi honey. Hey Lisa. You girls have a good time last night?" Will asked. Both girls looked at each other and blushed a little. "What's up?" Will said in curiosity.

"Um, I, we, need to talk to you about something mom." Becky said nervously.

"Okay, why don't we go into the kitchen." Will said in a slightly concerned tone. She turned and walked to the other room. Lisa gave Becky a peck on the cheek for encouragement and they followed Will. Becky found herself once again sitting across from Will at the kitchen table. The only difference from Friday morning was Lisa was sitting next to her now. "So what is it you need to tell me?" Will asked once they were settled.

"Well, you know something freaked me out the other day. I discovered something about myself, something I thought you and everybody else would hate me for." Becky said.

"I told you Becky, I could never hate you." Will said sympathetically.

"I know. You see mom, I discovered that I was in love."

"Becky that's wonderful! I knew were keeping me in the dark! So who's the lucky guy!?" Will cried out happily.

"It's not a guy." Becky said as she lowered her eyes, afraid to meet Will's gaze.

"Say what?" Will said with a voice strained by shock.

"I'm a lesbian mom, and I'm in love with Lisa."

"O, oh." Will stammered out, her eyes going wide. Becky jumped out of her seat and walked towards the sink. Realizing her mistake Will quickly got up and went to her daughter. "It's okay Becky, I'm not mad, really I'm not. I just wasn't expecting this." Will wrapped her arms around Becky and hugged her reassuringly.

"You don't mind?" Becky asked as Will led her back to the table.

"Of course not. I'm not bothered by that sort of thing. You're my daughter, I accept you for who you are." Will said gently. "I happy for you, the both of you. In a way it's kind of a relief."

"How so?" Becky asked, suddenly confused.

"Well, I don't have to worry about you getting pregnant for one thing." Will said.

"Oh geez mom, gross." Becky said while Lisa had a good laugh.

"So did you two get together last night?" Will asked once they had all calmed down.

"Uh, yeah. We confessed how we felt for each other for the first time last night." Becky said.

"So, did you two, you know, sleep together?" Becky and Lisa went red in the face. They hadn't gone that far yet and it was embarrassing to have Will talk about it so openly. While there had been some mutual exploring with their hands last night, their clothes had stayed on.

"Oh no, we didn't, we haven't. We just kissed, I swear!" Becky said as she waved her hands in front of herself frantically.

"Alright, alright. I was just curious, I wouldn't of been mad if you had." Will said. "So, have you told anyone else yet?"

"No, we came to you first." Becky said. Will felt honored to be the first one they came out to. "Just so you know, Lisa doesn't want her parents to know."

"Why not?" Will asked.

"I'm not ready for them to know. I'm not sure how they'll react." Lisa said.

"I understand. Don't worry, I won't say anything to them or to anyone else you don't want to know." Will said.

"Thank you." Lisa said.

"So you're really okay with us being a couple?" Becky asked.

"I'm perfectly fine with it. There is nothing as wonderful as love and I'm glad you found it. It doesn't matter to me that it's with another girl." Becky hugged Will close, relief flooding through her.

"Guess we should get together with the others and tell them." Lisa said.

"I'll call them and have them come over here." Becky said. She called Amy and asked her to come over so they could talk. She was surprised to learn that Trista and Sarah were with her. Becky detected a hint of excitement in her friend's voice, but she couldn't figure out why. When the trio arrived Becky was puzzled by the grins on her friend's faces. It unnerved her a little. She led them to her bedroom where Lisa was waiting.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming." The blonde said when the others entered the room. Becky sat down next to Lisa on the bed and the both them looked at their friends, unsure how to explain things.

"I'm sure you're curious why I called you here." Becky said. The three girls just looked at each other and smiled. Becky went on, even more confused then before. "You see, last night at Lisa's, well, how do I explain this?"

"Go on." Amy prompted merrily.

"Lisa is, well, she's my girlfriend now." The reaction that came next was nothing like what Becky expected.

"Ha! I knew it! Pay up Trista!" Amy shouted out triumphantly. Trista got a sour look on her face and dug a twenty out of her pocket and reluctantly handed it over to Amy. Becky and Lisa just stared at their friends blankly, having no idea what was going on. "Guess my plan worked." Amy said with a smile.

"What? You knew that I? But how?" Becky stammered out.

"Wasn't all that hard really. We've all seen how you look at Lisa. After our little talk the other day I put two and two together and it became pretty obvious who you were talking about." Amy explained. "I knew you would never come right out and tell her, so I decided to give you a little push in the right direction."

"That's why you three called me and said you weren't coming!" Lisa said in sudden realization.

"Right, I knew if I could just get the two of you together alone the truth would come out." Amy said.

"But how did you know I felt the same way?" Lisa asked.

"I remembered how you freaked out that one time two years ago. You acted the same as Becky did, you refused to talk to us for days and when you did you wouldn't tell us what had you so upset. Plus, you've always shown a great deal of interest in Becky. It was an easy conclusion to make." Amy said.

"Amy knew we had to get you two together, and since neither Trista or I had a better idea we went along with her plan." Sarah said.

"Okay, so then what was with the bet between Amy and Trista?" Becky asked.

"Oh that, don't get the wrong idea. It wasn't that we were betting whether you two would actually get together, we knew it would happen. I just figured we'd have to pry it out of you, Amy said you two would come clean. Guess I was wrong." Trista said with a shrug.

"So you guys aren't grossed out or anything like that?" Becky asked.

"Heck no! Why would we? You're both still the same people that we love like sisters. We just want you to be happy." Sarah said. Becky was touched by the sentiment.

"I think of you guys as sisters too!" Becky said with as much feeling in her voice as she could muster. "I, I was so afraid you'd hate me. I thought you'd never want to speak to me again. You all mean so much to me that I can't bear the thought of you not wanting to be my friends. I know I had you worried and I'm so sorry I didn't tell you why I was so miserable." Becky began crying as a wave of guilt washed over her. She felt terrible that she had doubted her friends and Will's loyalty.

"Hey, it's okay Becks. We understand. It must be a scary thing to realize that you're a lesbian. We don't blame you." Trista said reassuringly. Lisa wrapped her arms around Becky's shoulders and whispered soothing words into her ear.

"We're just happy that the two of you are finally together." Amy said. Becky looked into her girlfriend's eyes and smiled.

"So, I've got to know. Did you two, you know, get it on?" Trista asked suddenly, totally ruining the moment. Sarah groaned at the inappropriate question while Amy glared at Trista angrily. Becky and Lisa were once again blushing furiously.

"That was tasteful Trista, really." Amy said sarcastically.

"What?" Trista whined.

"Did it occur to you that they may not want to talk about their, uh, intimate moments." Sarah said. Becky and Lisa were beet red now. They didn't know which was worse, having Will or their friends ask if they had sex.

"I'll tell you what I told my mom. We just made out last night, that's all!" Becky said forcefully. Lisa giggled at Becky's reaction.

"You're cute when you're upset, you know that?" Lisa said with a sly smile. Becky turned towards Lisa, a similar smile on her face now as well.

"You're always cute." Becky countered. Forgetting that their friends were there they leaned in and started kissing.

"Oh wow! Guess we're going to have to get used to seeing that!" Trista said, her eyes going wide. Becky and Lisa were totally lost in each others embrace now. They continued to kiss as they slowly fell backwards onto Becky's bed.

"Okay! I think that's our cue to get out of here! Let's leave the lovebirds alone for now!" Amy who was now blushing, quickly left the room followed by Trista and Sarah. Will saw the girls beating a hasty retreat and peeked into Becky's room to see why. She blushed furiously when she saw Becky and Lisa kissing. She quietly closed the door and hurried back to the kitchen. The two girlfriends noticed none of this. They would later be embarrassed at their actions, but right then nothing else mattered except for the fact that they were in love with each other and they were together.

**That's a wrap for the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter will be coming as soon as possible, but I can't say for sure when. Just in case I don't make it before hand, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! In the next chapter we'll be learning about the invasion of Eldrin and the girls go on a rescue mission. They'll be joined by... Well, you'll just have to wait to see who it is! See you next time! **


	13. Chapter 13 Enemies and Allies

**Greetings! At long last I'm here with chapter thirteen! I really hope you all had a great Christmas and a happy New Year's! I'm really sorry it took me almost two months to update! Work has been crazy and the chapter ended up being MUCH longer then I thought it was going to be! In fact it now holds the record of the longest chapter yet! (Nineteen and one quarter pages long!) So you may want to get yourseleves a snack and a soda before you begin reading!**

**Thanks go out two new reviewers, antlan87 and Sagehawk! Welcome aboard! And of course I'm making my usual request for reviews! With that said let's get this show on the road! **

Chapter Thirteen: Enemies and Allies

"I am very disappointed Kisarc!" The man leaned forward in the throne and glared at the leader of the Shoran mercenary company. "The Guardians not only came here, but they found the royal family and rescued them!" Kisarc felt a growl growing in the back of his throat, he was not pleased at being talked down to like this. For the last fifteen minutes his employer had been chewing him out. Enough was enough, it was time to set things strait.

"I suggest you be quiet! I will not stand here and be treated like a raw recruit!" The lizard man bellowed.

"You dare talk back to me!?" The man in black armor shouted in outrage. He bolted to his feet, his gigantic broadsword instantly in his hand.

"I wouldn't try anything rash! Think it through for a moment! You attack me and you'll have my entire company howling for your blood! And don't think your men will be able to save you!" The man scowled and slowly sat back down. "That's better. Now then, before you go blaming me for the royal brats getting away I would remind you it was your men, not mine that allowed them to escape. I suggest you vent your anger at them, not me!" A sly smile suddenly appeared on the man's face, unnerving Kisarc.

"I already have, their commander didn't have as much guts as you, and now he has a lot less to work with." A cold chill went up Kisarc's spine. He had received a report from one of his men about a blood stained bag being dumped into the river early that morning. That coupled with the cries of pain from deep within the castle the previous night gave him a good idea of what had happened to the man. Kisarc understood the need for discipline, but never to that extreme. "Perhaps I was a bit hasty with my anger, I have worked too long and too hard to get to this point and I have no desire to see things fall apart now." Kisarc grimaced, after all this time he still didn't know what his employer was after. "I wasn't expecting the Guardians to come here so soon. It probably was a mistake for me to have you attack them again when I did. I wasn't expecting them to meet up with the royals either."

"It is disappointing that they got away, are they that vital to your plans?" Kisarc asked, hoping that some tidbit of information would slip out.

"Possibly, it's to soon to say for certain. I just don't like loose ends. Tell me Celia, what will the prince and his siblings do now?" Kisarc looked at the white robed fortune teller standing by the throne. He had learned she had some sort of a connection to the royal family, exactly what that connection was he didn't know, and frankly he didn't care. He was just interested in what she could tell them about the royals.

"I, I don't know for sure. They have never been in this kind of situation before, or even imagined it. He could do anything at this point." The blue haired seer said.

"Do not dissemble with me Celia, remember the oath you swore to me. What of your visions, have you seen anything of the Guardians or the prince?" Celia shrank back at the harshness of the man's words. Nearby Pelth cackled at Celia's fear.

"O, Of the guardians I have seen nothing beyond that they are committed to helping the royal family."

"You have told me that already, is there nothing new?" The man was growing angrier.

"N…No, nothing. As for the prince I have seen that he seeks to find the strength to fight you, and that he will find it both from outside and inside his realm."

"That is all?" Celia quickly nodded yes in answer to the man's question. "Bah, useless. Leave, now, and when we next speak you better have seen something of more use to me." Celia quickly turned and retreated from the throne room.

"I think the girl is still attached to the young prince and his siblings my lord." Pelth said once Celia was gone.

"Most likely she is, but I doubt it matters. She is a traitor in their eyes now, she was already disliked by the people of this world and now they totally despise her. She has no other option but to work for us. I am more troubled by the fact that you cannot detect the Guardians coming or going. Are you sure there is no way to alert us to their presence?"

"Unfortunately no, if they were using a teleportation circle like we do or one of the other normal means of traveling between worlds it would be a different matter. Folding is impossible to detect, which is why it is the best and most rare of dimension travel." Pelth explained.

"Very well, it seems it cannot be helped. For now we will take a wait and see approach where the Guardians are concerned. We'll reinforce our key positions and see where they strike, that will give use some clue to what their plans might be."

"If that is so I beg your leave to deploy my men." Kisarc said.

"Very well, we're done here anyways." Kisarc turned to leave, but was stopped by the man. "And Kisarc, do not disrespect me again. While I appreciate your bravado remember that you work for me." The lizard man didn't bother to respond. Once again Friv was waiting outside the entrance to the throne room.

"Gather our best men and prepare them to move out." Kisarc said in hushed tones to his lieutenant. "Some of what the girl said caught my interest. I think I know where the Guardians and the royal brats are going to show up next."

Will was amazed at the change in Becky's demeanor. Ever since Lisa had become her girlfriend Becky smiled and laughed a lot more then before and there was a certain bounce in her step that Will recognized all to well. She knew what it was like to be in love for the first time. She was very happy for her daughter and glad to see her in such a positive mood. She was a little worried about what might happen if it got out that Becky and Lisa were lesbians, not everyone was accepting as she was. She smiled a little, knowing that if anyone gave Becky a hard time they would not only have to deal with her, but the combined forces of Becky's friends and Irma and the gang. She had decided not to dwell on the matter, if it became a problem she would deal with it then. She hadn't said anything to her friends yet, not because she was worried about how they would react, she knew they would be just as happy for Becky and Lisa as she was, Will just wanted to make sure it was okay with the girls first.

Will hated to admit it, but she was a little bit jealous as well. It had been a long time since there had been someone special in her life. Ever since Matt had broken her heart all those years ago she hadn't really been with anyone. Sure she had been on a few dates, mostly guys her mom had tried to set her up with, but none of them had gone anywhere. Several guys at her job had tried hitting on her, but she hadn't been interested in any of them for a variety of reasons. On occasion someone would ask her why she wasn't with anyone. They would comment that it made no sense for a beautiful woman such as herself to be alone. On some level she sort of agreed with them. It wasn't that she wasn't open to love, but she just didn't see the need to be with someone just for the sake of being in a relationship. And truthfully part of her was frightened to open herself up to potential heartbreak again.

Becky was reveling in the feeling of being in love. It was an amazing sensation, one she never imagined could exist. There were some obstacles of course. Her and Lisa had to do their best not to let on they were a couple. At school they had to pretend they were nothing more then good friends, which wasn't always easy. They would unconsciously join hands in the halls. They would quickly let go once they realized what they were doing and look around to see if anyone had noticed their lapse in judgment. Luckily no one ever seemed to. They would sometimes risk slipping love notes into each others locker as well. Becky kept all of the ones from Lisa in a drawer at home and read them again and again. All the sneaking around made their time together alone all the more special. They would go out to movies and have dinner together as much as possible. At times they would even start making out in front of their three friends. The girls would groan and Trista would tell them to knock it off with their public displays of affection. Becky and Lisa would just giggle, loving the fact they could annoy their friends just by kissing. Two weeks had now passed since they had become a couple and it was the beginning of March. The weather had turned rainy and Becky was standing underneath an umbrella with the girl she loved. They were heading for Becky's place after a long day at school.

"Ugh, I hate it when the weather gets like this." Becky said.

"Oh, I don't know. It has it's perks." Lisa said happily as she snuggled up to Becky and rested her head on her shoulder. Becky blushed and wrapped her arm around Lisa.

"There is that. I don't know what I've done to deserve someone as wonderful as you Lisa."

"I could say the same thing." Lisa responded. "I hope we're together forever."

"Me too." Becky said as wonderful visions of the two them growing up, getting married and having a life together filled her head. She knew nothing was ever that easy, but it was nice to dream.

"What are you grinning about?" Lisa asked.

"Just having some nice daydreams." Becky responded.

"Oh yeah? I hope I'm included in those dreams." Lisa said.

"Of course."

"Want to fill me in?"

"Later okay? I just want to get out of this rain and someplace dry." Lisa laughed as they walked into Becky's apartment building.

"Hello, how was your day girls?" Will asked once the two of them walked in the door.

"Fine mom. We're going to go study for awhile." Becky said as they headed for her room.

"Okay, just make sure you actually study tonight. Try to save the make out session for later." Will said with a smirk. She had walked in on the two of them the other night, locked in a loving kiss. That was one of the reasons they went to Becky's a lot of the time. It was just safer that way.

The two of them settled down on Becky's bed and began pouring over their textbooks. While they studied Becky absently played with the necklace that Lisa had given her back on Eldrin. Becky had made it a permanent part of her daily wardrobe. She was secretly looking for a similar piece of jewelry to give Lisa.

"Ugh, enough already. My brain is starting to go numb." Becky said a couple of hours later.

"Yeah, I can't take much more myself. Plus, I need to be getting home."

"Do you have to?" Becky said in disappointed tone. Lisa leaned forward and gave Becky a peck on the lips.

"Sorry, but yeah. My mom is expecting me home for dinner. I'll see you tomorrow." Lisa said as she started packing up her stuff. "I love you." She said as she headed out the door.

"I love you to." Becky said as she got up to see Lisa out. At the front door they kissed again and Lisa left. Becky hated seeing her girlfriend leave, she always felt a little emptier when Lisa wasn't there with her. After having dinner and talking to Amy on the phone for awhile she went to bed. Her dreams were filled with images of Lisa. The next morning Becky was on her way out when Will came running up and stopped her.

"Becky! Hold on!" Will called out. Becky turned to face her mother. "You and the others are going to have to miss school today. Yan Lin called, Chase and his siblings are finally ready to talk it seems and the Oracle doesn't want to wait."

"Okay, I'll get the girls up here." Becky concentrated and contacted Trista telepathically, telling her to come upstairs with the others.

"So what do we do about school?" Sarah asked once the situation had been explained.

"You forget about the astral drops already?" Amy said.

"Oh you're kidding right? Who knows how they'll embarrass us at school." Trista said.

"Well, that is what they are for. Or do you want to try and explain to your mom why you skipped school?" Lisa said.

"Okay, okay, I get the point." Trista said.

"Portlatsa!" The girls called out, summoning their astral drops. The drops started looking around with absentminded looks on their faces.

"Oh this is not going to be good." Sarah said. The girls wrote out their class schedules for their copies and sent them on their way. Becky then opened a fold and they left earth and arrived on Kandrakar. Before they had even gone few steps Will stumbled under the weight of someone jumping onto her back.

"Will! How's it going girl!?" Irma cried out happily as she struggled to keep from falling off of Will's back.

"Irma! Let go! I can't breath!" Irma quickly let go of the unintentional choke hold she had created with her arms and slid off of Will. "Geez Irma, what was that for?"

"Sorry, I was just goofing around." Irma said sheepishly. She had an embarrassed grin on her face. "I haven't seen you for awhile and I guess I just got over excited." Will just rolled her eyes. She shot an angry look at the rest of her friends who were standing nearby, laughing hysterically. While the girls were watching the whole thing Chase, Kaz and Nella walked up to the girls.

"It's good to see you again my friends." Chase said.

"Same here." Becky said.

"I'm sorry it's taken so long for us to get back together. Our ordeal left us more drained then I thought, and truthfully, we never had a chance to morn the loss of our father." Chase said.

"Hey, we understand." Sarah said.

"Now that everyone is here, I believe we're ready to begin." Halinor said from the entrance to the council chamber. Everyone made their way to the chamber. Before they entered Kaz stopped Trista briefly.

"Lady Trista, I, uh, just wanted to say thank you." Kaz said nervously.

"It's just Trista, and what are you thanking me for?"

"For saving my life, during the battle the other day, if you hadn't stepped in when you did I wouldn't be here." Kaz said.

"Oh that. No big deal. I just happened to be right there." Trista said dismissively.

"Well, I'm still in debt to you." Kaz responded.

"You don't owe me anything. I just did what needed to be done."

"Still, if you need anything from me you only have to ask." Kaz said as he bowed before Trista.

"That's, uh, nice of you. I doubt that'll be necessary. Look, we better get inside." Trista turned and hurried into the council chamber, her cheeks going red.

"You're blushing Trista." Amy said with a smirk. She had been standing by the door and had heard the entire exchange between Trista and Kaz. "Someone has a crush on you."

"Yeah, whatever." Trista said quickly. "He's just grateful I saved him, that's all."

"I think you like him back." Amy's voice took on a teasing tone to it.

"Oh please. He's a royal bigwig who probably has a dozen dainty little airhead girly girls waiting for him to get back home. So stuff a sock in it before I barbeque you!" Amy raised her hands in mock fear and backed up a little. As Trista stormed off Amy couldn't help but needle her one more time.

"You two would make a really cute couple." She said playfully. Trista roared in outrage and stomped off. Amy reveled in her ability to mess with the Fire Guardian. Becky just sighed and shook her head. As she and Lisa walked towards the center of the chamber she noticed several people giving the two of them curious looks.

"Pssst! Becky, Lisa, hands!" Sarah whispered, pointing urgently towards the space between the two girls. Becky quickly looked down and gasped. She and Lisa had once again clasped their hands together unknowingly. Becky's mind raced to find a way to do damage control. She and Lisa hadn't planned to let their relationship out to Will's friends or the council.

"Wait a sec, does this mean what I think it means?" Hay Lin said, excitement rising in her voice.

"Yeah, they're a couple." Will said.

"Mom!" Becky shouted out.

"Ah, that's so sweet!" Hay Lin said. She darted over to the girls and got in their face. "They make such a cute pair!"

"Congrats, I'm happy for the two of you." Cornelia said.

"So, you aren't freaked out?" Lisa asked.

"No! There's nothing to be freaked out about! Right Irma?" Hay Lin said.

"Right, it's no big deal." Irma said. "We don't mind." Becky looked around and saw Taranee, Caleb, and Elyon all smiling approvingly.

"Do not be ashamed." The Oracle suddenly said. "Love is a wonderful thing, no matter it's form. Besides, you are not the first Guardians to fall in love with one another."

"Really?" Will said in shock.

"Oh yes, every so often it happens and Kandrakar always celebrates the forging of such a bond." The Oracle said. "All I ask is that you do your best to not let your relationship interfere with your duties."

"We'll do our best." Lisa said.

"What about you Chase?" Becky asked the prince.

"While it isn't common on Eldrin, relationships like yours do exist. No one on my world looks at these couples in a bad way." Chase said with a nod of his head.

"I am afraid we must turn to the situation on your world prince Chase. Please, can you tell us what happened." The Oracle said.

"Of course." Chase said. He stood in the center of those gathered. He grew serious as he prepared to tell his tale. "It all began roughly three months ago. It started innocently enough, a few scattered reports of strangers prowling the villages at night. They remained isolated events and the thought was it might be simple bandits. Solders were sent to check things out, but they never found anything and nothing was ever stolen. It was thought to be nothing, but that changed when the sightings grew more numerous."

"They were scouts." Sarah stated.

"Yes. Looking back now we should of realized what was going on, but our world has been at peace for so long that we failed to recognize the threat that was before us. After a month of this we began to truly see the possible danger, but by then it was too late. They struck hard and fast. Before we knew it they had taken several towns. It wasn't long before their leader made himself known. He calls himself Lord Logrim."

"Logrim!?" The Oracle said suddenly.

"You've heard of this Logrim?" Will asked.

"Yes, he's a warlord that has led attacks on several worlds for decades, though I've never heard of him taking anyplace over." The Oracle said. "I've never paid much attention to him before, thinking him to be a small threat. I was obviously wrong. From what I understand he is cruel, conniving, and ruthless."

"All true I am afraid. He proved it when he executed several captured villagers just to show he was serious." Kaz said in disgust.

"No!" Lisa said in shock.

"He demanded that we surrender and accept him as the new ruler of Eldrin." Chase said, continuing his story. "Of course we refused. Our father sent the army to drive him from Eldrin. For a time it seemed like that's what would happen, our forces beat them back easily, but the victories we scored were a trick. He pulled the bulk of our army into a large canyon, fooling them into thinking he was retreating. That's when he sprung his trap. He has a wizard working for him who summoned reinforcements which included the lizard men. Our army was now trapped in a confined space with enemies in front and behind. The few survivors that made it back to the capital told us it was a massacre. From then on we were a world under siege."

"He definitely thought this out, that's for sure." Becky said.

"Logrim wasted no time in pressing his advantage. With most of our army gone he had an easy time taking control of several key locations, his scouts had done a thorough job of gathering the information needed to weaken us. Our remaining soldiers did their best to slow them down, but it was apparent that it wouldn't be enough. Our father reluctantly pulled all our remaining forces back to the capital in a last ditch attempt to hold them off. Our remaining soldiers managed to hold the outer wall for three days before they were forced to retreat to the castle. Thankfully in that time we were able to evacuate the residents of the city. All those that were left fell back to the castle to make the final stand."

"You were there for the whole thing?" Amy asked.

"Yes, it was a grim situation, but my siblings and I refused to leave while the city still stood, despite our father insisting we leave sooner. By now maybe an eighth of our army was left to hold the castle walls. We all knew it was hopeless by this point, that we had no chance of holding out against such a superior force. But the thought of surrender never crossed anyone's mind. We would of stayed with our father to the last, but he had already made arrangements for our escape. But before we could properly prepare we were betrayed."

"Betrayed? But I thought you said everyone was willing to fight?" Becky asked.

"It wasn't one of the soldiers that was a traitor. It was that damn witch!" Nella said with a snarl.

"Nella! Watch your mouth!" Kaz snapped at his sister.

"I will not! She played on our trust and backstabbed us!" Nella shouted out.

"I'm sorry, but I'm a little confused. Who are we talking about here?" Sarah said in an attempt to stop the argument.

"Celia." Chase said quietly. The pain in his voice stopped his brother and sister from fighting any further. "She is, was, a childhood friend. Out of loyalty we brought her with us into the castle and were going to take her with us when we made our escape. She was such a familiar sight in the castle that no one paid her any mind, besides everyone was focused on the battle outside the walls. She opened a side door and let the enemy into the castle."

"No! How could she do that if she was your friend!?" Lisa asked in shock.

"I do not know for certain. You must understand she has never had an easy life. She has abilities that frighten many people."

"What kind of abilities? Magic?" The Oracle asked.

"Not like you're thinking, but I suppose you could call it magic. She has visions, images that tell her what is going to happen before it happens." Chase explained.

"So she's a fortune teller?" Trista asked.

"You could say that. Her visions aren't always clear, and she often sees things people don't like. Many came to see her as a source of bad luck, a living omen of doom. She became despised for something she couldn't control. She learned too late that speaking of her visions wasn't very smart. People treated her as an outcast. Some even attacked her. The only safe place for her was in the castle. My father would of let her live there, but her parents were alive and my father couldn't just take her from them without just cause. They never really protected her from the townsfolk, but they didn't actually hurt her either. I think they were just as frightened of her as everyone else, but they stilled loved her and were unsure on how to help her without the towns people turning on them too."

"Stop making excuses for her Chase! Or have you forgotten what she did!?" Nella shouted out.

"I have not forgotten Nella." Chase said gently. "And I make no excuses for her either. She is a traitor and must pay the price for that betrayal. What I do is try to understand her. She was not welcomed among her own people. She was unwanted, isolated. She must have been searching for a place to belong. While I do not forgive her, I do sympathize with her plight."

"Whatever…" Nella said as she turned away.

"Now then, the enemy swarmed the castle, led by Logrim himself. Before we knew what was going on we were overrun. We barricaded the throne room and our father told us to get into a secret passage so we could make our escape. We begged father to come with us, but he knew that if he didn't stay behind Logrim would be immediately after us. We, we didn't even really have a chance to say goodbye. He shoved us into passage and had it sealed behind us. I sent Kaz and Nella ahead while I watched from a hidden window. The few men in the throne room held the door as best they could, but it was broken down in moments. The enemy stormed in took on the soldiers while Logrim went right for my father. They fought furiously for several minutes, but Logrim won out in the end, disarming father. Then in an act of pure cowardice and savagery he shoved his sword through father's chest."

"Oh Chase…" Becky said sadly. Kaz stepped forward and put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. The elder prince took a deep breath and continued.

"There isn't much to tell after that. We were escorted by a contingent of fifty members of the royal guard, the most elite soldiers in the Eldrin army. We went through a underground tunnel and exited into the forest that borders the city. A couple of days later we ran into Lord Wogen and a few other members of the royal court. We moved about with no real purpose. Unfortunately, Logrim knew we were still alive, most likely from Celia. He sent several patrols to hunt us down. Several times they found us, and our numbers dwindled. We lost more then half of our bodyguards and all the council members except for Lord Wogen. I thought we were finally finished when you found us in the woods the other day."

"Man, this Logrim guy sounds like a total asshole." Trista said.

"Do you have any idea what he wants with your world?" The Oracle asked.

"Not really. We gathered some information as we traveled. Once he had the capital he took a more gradual approach to his take over. He has split his focus into three main things. The first was securing the rest of our world, one village at a time. Second was finding us and eliminating any remaining elements of our army." Chase explained.

"What's the third thing?" Sarah said.

"That's somewhat of a mystery, but that's also the area he seems most concerned with. He's searching for something, that much is obvious. We just don't know what. He's even taken people from the villages back to the castle, for what purpose we don't know. Whatever he seeks it's of great importance to him." Kaz said.

"So what's the next step then?" Becky asked. "I mean, what do we do? If we don't know what he's after then how can we stop him?"

"I don't think we can, not with what little we know." Halinor said as she bit her thumb in thought. "Any strike we make against him would be pointless without knowing his true objective."

"But meanwhile the people of Eldrin suffer. God it sounds like just like it was when my brother was in power." Elyon said.

"Pardon?" Chase said.

"Oh yes, you haven't been properly introduced." The Oracle said. "This is Queen Elyon, ruler of Meridian."

"Your majesty, I'm honored." Chase said as he bowed.

"None of that, just call me Elyon."

"Brother, I just had a thought. Now that the guardians are with us maybe we can make that one move we were talking about." Kaz suddenly said.

"I suppose it's possible now." Chase said. "If the rumors are true then we might be able to take our first step in regaining our world."

"Uh, mind filling us in?" Amy said.

"Right, sorry. In our wanderings we found out many men from the army had been taken alive and imprisoned in a abandoned fort that Logrim converted into a makeshift prison. We were considering freeing them, thinking we could bolster our forces, but decided it was impossible with our limited resources." Kaz said.

"That might not be such a bad idea. Perhaps these captives have overheard something that might be of use to us." Yan Lin said.

"Works for us. We're in!" Becky said.

"And so are we!" Everyone spun around at Will's sudden statement. Irma and the others stood nearby with looks of determination on their faces.

"Mom?" Becky said in a confused tone.

"We've had experience with this kind of thing. You could use our help on this." Will said.

"But you all don't have your powers anymore!" Becky shouted out.

"It's true that our magic is very weak now, but we know how to fight. You've seen us in action. It's not like I think you can't do it, I know that you're perfectly capable. But we can't stand by and do nothing, it's not in our nature. You're still the boss Becky, we'll listen to whatever orders you give us." Will said. She looked at her daughter with pleading eyes. "Please, let us in on this."

"Alright, I'd be an idiot to turn you down." Becky said.

"Sweet! W.I.T.C.H. is back in business!" Hay Lin called out happily.

"You know, we should bring Blunk along as well. It'd be helpful to have a second person who can make a fold along for the ride." Caleb said. Becky nodded in thought, she had almost forgotten that the Passling had a magic tooth that he could create folds with.

"Well, if it's that's the case then I'm in as well." Elyon said.

"Your majesty, no!" Caleb shouted out. "It's far to dangerous for you to go!"

"I'm going Caleb! No buts! Besides, I've got more magic power then anyone else. Plus I've got everyone else to back me up!" Caleb just groaned.

"So when do we make our move?" Sarah asked.

"Tomorrow night. We'll rest up tonight, meet up tomorrow after school and finalize our plans before we go in." Becky said. Becky had a hard time concentrating in school the next day. She was worried not only for Lisa and her friends safety, but for Will's and the others as well. They were going to be a rather large group, it could be hard to keep track of everyone and not all of them could use magic. She was going to have to be twice as careful now.

"Stop it." Lisa said as they headed for the Silver Dragon. They had already sent their astral drops to cover for them while they were absent form Earth.

"Stop what?" Becky said.

"Stop worrying about what's going to happen. We'll be fine." Lisa said.

"How'd you know that's what I was thinking about?"

"I recognize that look in your eyes, that's all." Lisa said with a shrug. "Don't worry about what might go wrong, it'll just wear you out."

"How is it you're so good at telling what I'm thinking?" Becky said.

"I love you, that's how. Plus, you're real easy to read." Lisa said playfully. Becky laughed and gave Lisa a small shove.

"I love you too." Becky said as she pulled Lisa in closer for a kiss.

"Hey! Save the making out until later!" Trista said from behind the two girlfriends. Amy and Sarah giggled in good natured mirth.

"Alright…" Lisa said with a disappointed sigh, starting a whole new set of laughter.

Will was waiting for them at the Silver Dragon. She told them that everyone else had gone ahead and were waiting at Kandrakar. Will was dressed for the upcoming mission, wearing skin tight black clothes and her knives strapped behind her back at her waist. She had pulled a black watch cap on over her hair. Without waiting for an invitation Becky opened a fold. As promised the others were already there, and like Will they had dressed themselves in black clothes and were carrying their weapons. The only differences were that Caleb was wearing his famous brown trench coat and Elyon was unarmed since she had her magic and didn't need a weapon. Becky noticed that Caleb and Cornelia were having some kind of disagreement.

"Hey guys." Irma said. She walked over, one hand resting on the handle of her short sword. "Looking good there Will, like the sexy cat burglar look you've got going there. Rwarr!" She said with a laugh.

"Knock it off Irma." Will said in a semi-annoyed tone. "What are those two arguing about?" She said pointing at Caleb and Cornelia.

"Oh that, Caleb doesn't want Cornelia to go because she's preggers. He's afraid something might happen to her and the baby." Becky had forgotten about Cornelia's pregnancy. The former Earth Guardian was now a little over four months pregnant and Becky could see that her belly was just beginning to swell. "But you know Corny, once she makes up her mind to do something there's no talking her out of it."

"I'm going Caleb and that's final! I promise I'll be careful, alright?" Cornelia shouted out.

"Alright, alright. But if I think for one second you and the baby are in too much danger I'm having Blunk open a fold to send you back!" Caleb said. Hearing his name the Passling came out from behind a pillar.

"Why Blunk have to do scary stuff again?" He whined.

"Oh come on Blunk! It'll be just like the old days!" Hay Lin said as she leaned forward on her staff to speak to him.

"That what Blunk afraid of." He spied Becky and her friends and bounded over to them with a hopeful look on his face. "Will's girl! You no need Blunk right!? Blunk stay here and not get eaten by scary lizard men, right!?" Before Becky could say anything Trista stepped in.

"Sorry Blunk, you're in for another adventure." She said.

"Ahh, why rowdy girl say that?" Blunk said in a defeated tone. Becky smiled a little at the mention of Blunk's name for Trista. He had come up with name's for all of them. Trista had become 'rowdy girl' for her wild nature. Lisa had been named 'spinny girl' after Blunk had seen her practicing her gymnastics. Sarah had sang and played her guitar for Blunk and been named 'music girl' afterwards. Amy, who had taken a real liking to the Passling , was 'cartoon girl' because she had watched some of her anime with Blunk, which the Passling had loved. And since she was Will's daughter Becky was 'Will's girl'.

"Don't worry Blunk, you'll be fine, I promise." Becky said. Blunk just groaned in defeat, knowing he wasn't getting out of going.

"I see everyone is here now." Chase said as he walked into the council chamber followed by Kaz. They both had swords strapped to their sides.

"Yep, we are. Before we go I was hoping that you could tell us more about this fort. Like more about it's layout, how big it is, where they might be keeping the prisoners. Stuff like that." Becky said.

"I'm afraid we don't know any of that. The place supposedly has large cells in the basement, so I guess that's were they'll be keeping everyone." Chase said.

"That's it? A guess?" Trista said.

"I'm sorry Trista." Kaz said. "We weren't able to gather more then a few bits and pieces about the place. It was abandoned a long time ago. If you don't want to go I'd understand. Maybe this is too dangerous Chase. I wouldn't want Trista," Kaz suddenly went very red in the face and he started speaking very quickly. "or anyone else to get hurt because we don't know what we're walking into."

"Whoa, take it easy! I didn't say we wouldn't go! Frankly, I'm looking forward to beating up on some more of Logrim's goons. Lighten up, will ya?" Trista said.

"It's okay, we went to Eldrin the first time not knowing anything about was going on. This time we've got a better idea of the situation. I mean, there's no way we can leave those men in Logrim's hands, who knows what he'll do to them." Becky said. She then pulled out the Heart from her underneath her shirt.

"Guardians unite!" After they transformed Becky opened a fold and they went through, not realizing someone had been waiting for this moment. As the last member of the team stepped through this person dashed forward and jumped in just as the fold was closing.

"Nella! What do you think you're doing here!" Chase shouted out seeing his sister land with a thud on the ground, her spear lying next to her. "I told you that you had to stay behind!"

"Yeah, so? I won't be left out of this!" Nella said angrily from the ground.

"Blast it all Nella! I already went through this with you! It's not safe and you're too young! You'll be safe back at Kandrakar! Becky, could you please send her back?" Chase said.

"I won't go back! Did you forget what you said when this all began!? 'We have to stick together, no matter what. We're family, and family stays together.' Did you mean that or was it just a bunch of hot air!?" Nella glared her brother down.

"Of course I meant it!" Chase said.

"Then I go where you go! Try to force me back and there won't be enough of you left to fight anybody!" Nella threatened.

"Forget it Chase. We don't have time for this." Kaz said.

"Very well, but only this once! After this you will stay back, even if I have to tie you up!" Chase said.

"Like to see you try." Nella mumbled. Sarah offered her a hand up, but the young princess knocked it away and pushed herself up. She brushed the dirt from her shirt and skirt before she started walking off.

"What is she so mad about?" Lisa asked.

"I don't think she knows herself. She didn't use to be like this." Kaz said sadly. "This whole ordeal has changed her. She used to be a sweet, friendly girl. Losing father devastated her. Our mother died when she was very young, and she has no real memories of her, so father was the only parent she knew. The two of them were very close, and when he died I think a part of her died with him."

"What's worse, she's put on this front of being tough. She hasn't cried, not once. She won't allow herself to. She thinks she needs to be brave." Chase added.

"I think she's scared too, of losing the only family she has left." Taranee said.

"Don't worry Chase, we'll protect her." Cornelia said.

"Thank you."

The group moved carefully through the woods for a short distance to were the could see the fortress. In the rapidly fading light they were confronted by a disheartening sight. There were hundreds of soldiers around and atop the crumbling walls of the old fort. They could make out the outlines of more inside the rooms atop the towers that were spread out all along the perimeter.

"This isn't good, there are a lot more guards then I expected." Becky said. "We need to find some way to get inside without being seen, the direct approach won't work here."

"We need a distraction." Amy said. "Something that will pull the guards away long enough for us to get inside the walls."

"I think I've got an idea." Lisa said suddenly. "I'll get the guards attention, and while they're focused on me head inside."

"How will we know when to go?" Trista asked.

"Oh, you'll know, trust me." Was all the blonde haired Air Guardian said.

"Be careful." Becky said in a worried tone.

"Don't worry, they'll never even see me. I'll meet you inside." Lisa said. She gave Becky a quick kiss and ran off into the woods. After a few minutes everyone began to grow worried when nothing happened.

"Where is she?" Becky said in distressed tone. Just as she was about to go look for her girlfriend the guards started shouting and ran towards the front of the building. They now knew what Lisa meant when she had said they would know when she had begun her distraction. She had gathered up thousands of dead leaves form the forest floor and had sucked them up in a giant whirlwind. She was spinning them so fast that they were nothing but a blur. Manipulating the air currents in the funnel she had been able to create a crude face that grinned evilly at the gathered soldiers. To top it off she created a frightening moaning sound to go along with her tornado creature.

"Look at that! They look like they're about to wet themselves!" Trista shouted in glee. Lisa then moved the air funnel towards the frightened troops in a menacing manner. The soldiers began throwing spears and shooting arrows at the fake monster that threatened them. The projectiles they launched were all thrown away.

"Where's Lisa? I can't see her." Sarah said.

"She made herself invisible!" Becky said in sudden comprehension.

"C'mon, we better get inside while we can, Lisa can't keep this up forever." Will said. The girls quickly started ferrying everyone who couldn't fly over the wall. They took shelter in a old shed so they wouldn't be spotted. Once they were all inside they remained hidden and waited for Lisa to rendezvous with them. It was cramped in the shed and it was taking a long time for Lisa to find them. When the door creaked open suddenly everyone jumped in fright.

"Lisa ..?" Becky said hesitantly when no one appeared in the doorway.

"What?" Lisa said from right beside Becky, making her jump again. The blonde made herself visible again. She had an evil grin on her face from pulling her prank. Becky frowned and punched Lisa in the arm.

"Neat trick with the wind monster." Hay Lin said.

"Thanks, you guys missed the grand finale too. I raised the pitch of the wind to ear splitting levels and charged the soldiers with the funnel. Dozens of them ran screaming for their lives! Once it was on top of them I made it explode and buried them with the leaves." Lisa said triumphantly. "I think I found a way in. There's a door not far from here that doesn't look to be guarded."

"Great!" Becky said. She then went into her basic plan for the operation that she had come up with Will's help the previous evening. "Lisa, since you can turn invisible I want you to take the front and warn Trista telepathically if we're about to run into trouble. Mom and the others will handle any guards that come up on us unexpectedly. Chase, Kaz and Nella, stay with Blunk. Elyon can protect our rear with her superior magic power. Once we find the prisoners Blunk and Elyon will create folds to get them back to Kandrakar while the rest of us cover them." Everyone nodded in agreement and Lisa led the way to the door.

"No wonder this door isn't guarded. It's warped and wedged in there so tight you can't open it without making a racket." Becky said.

"Well we need to get inside before we get spotted." Caleb said as he watched the walls for the guards.

"Let me try something." Sarah said. She moved forward and raised her arms towards the door. She concentrated and the door began to creak slightly as she twisted the wood away from it's frame. With a final pop the door came free and swung outwards.

"Good going Sarah." Lisa said quietly. The Air Guardian then turned invisible and went inside.

"All clear." Trista said after a second. Everyone went inside and formed up as Becky had indicated. The girls up front, Will and the others watching the side corridors, Chase, Kaz and Nella with Blunk in the center and Elyon guarding the rear. The crumbling stone halls led off in three directions.

"Okay, look for a staircase to the basement." Becky said. Will and Irma went up one hallway while Hay Lin and Taranee went down another. Both teams came back almost immediately.

"Nothing that way except a couple of empty rooms." Will said.

"Dead end that way, ceiling collapsed." Taranee said.

"So it's choice number three then." Becky said. Still invisible, Lisa headed down the hall that led into the center of the building. They passed several doors, but the only thing they found behind them were dust and some very big spiders. After several minutes of stealthily moving through the building Lisa found what they were looking for and sent the message to Trista. Lisa went first and found a pair of guards watching a large iron bound door.

"We're going to have to take them down before they can raise the alarm." Becky said. The group had gathered at the top of the staircase where they couldn't be seen.

"Have Lisa blow out the torches down there, me and Taranee can take care of the rest. Just have her wait until we get down there." Hay Lin said. Becky looked at Trista and nodded. Hay Lin and Taranee didn't wait for any more confirmation before quietly heading down the stairs. From the top of the stairs they could see the light from the floor below suddenly vanish followed by surprised grunts of pain and the sound of bodies hitting the floor. Everyone dashed down the stairs, Trista and Elyon using their powers to light the room up. Both guards were out cold on the ground with Taranee and Hay Lin standing over them.

"Good work guys." Becky said. "Hopefully there aren't anymore guards inside." Will grabbed the iron ring on the door that served as a handle and indicated the girls should stand ready in case there were. The others retreated up the steps a bit to give them room to fight if it came to that. Once they were ready Will heaved the door open, causing the hinges to creak loudly. With no more guards in sight the girls rushed in and gasped at what they found. Cells lined both sides of the hall, everyone crammed full of not only captured soldiers, but regular townsfolk as well. There was hardly room to move around in the cells. The stench of unwashed bodies filled the air. Few people looked up at the approach of the girls, those that did had haunted, faraway looks in their eyes. Many people had dirty, bloodstained bandages on various parts of their bodies. To their horror they even saw young children imprisoned in the filthy dungeon.

"This, this is horrific!" Sarah said. Her face held the same shocked and disgusted look that everyone else had. Even the normally cheerful Hay Lin was distressed by the scene.

"We need to get these people out of here. I can't even begin to imagine the number of infections and diseases they must have." Taranee said as the doctor part of her personality took over.

"I had no idea my people were suffering like this." Chase said sadly. "If only I had known I would of come sooner."

"Your majesty…?" Said a weak voice from farther down the hall. Chase seemed to recognize the speaker's voice and quickly went down the hall followed by his siblings.

"Thomas! It is you!" Chase said. "I thought we had lost you!" The speaker was a young soldier with dark brown hair. The left side of his face was covered with one of the filthy bandages. His once bright silver armor was now tarnished and dented. The weakened warrior struggled to his feet, aided by a few other soldiers that had appeared at his side.

"Not yet my Lord." Thomas said with a strained smile. "I cannot believe you are here."

"Believe it, and I do not come alone. Kaz and Nella are with me, and we bring the Guardians with us!" At the mention of the Guardians voices began whispering all around the room. "Tell me, what have these bastards done to everyone?"

"Torture…" Was all Thomas managed to croak out.

"No! Do not worry my friend! We will get you out of here!" Chase said earnestly. "Quickly! Lets start folding everyone out of here!"

"We can't open the folds like we thought, the cells are to crowded! There's no room to open them!" Becky said. "Quick! Get the keys off the guards!" Blunk bounded out of the room, but came back empty handed. "Crap! Anyone have another idea?! We can't rip the doors out, that'll bring every guard down on top of us!"

"I think I've got it!" Trista said. She went and kneeled in front of the door to Thomas's cell. She extended her index finger and a bright yellow flame sprang to life from the tip. She began slicing through the lock like it was butter. After only a few seconds she had burned all the way through and the cell door swung open.

"Nice, a magical blowtorch!" Becky said. Blunk quickly opened a fold just outside the door and Will and Irma directed the weakened prisoners through it.

"Your majesty, there are more people downstairs, you must…" Thomas said, he struggled to point to a second descending stairway.

"Don't worry, no one will be left behind, go now, you've done your duty." Chase said as he helped the soldier through the fold.

"Okay, let's get these people out of here." Becky said urgently. Trista moved through the room cutting the cell doors open one by one while Blunk and Elyon opened folds. Chase and Kaz assisted with helping people get through while Will and company watched the stairway for unexpected company.

"That's the last of them on this floor!" Elyon called out.

"Okay, next floor! Let's get this done quickly!" Becky ordered. The gang raced down the stairs and were amazed to find that the next floor wasn't another hallway but a cavernous room beneath the fort.

"Whoa, this place is huge!" Cornelia said, her voice echoing throughout the room. The illumination in room was feeble so Elyon created a sphere of light. Cells lined the walls of the gigantic room, stuffed full of people just like the hall above.

"There must three, four times as many people here as above!" Sarah said in horror.

"I can't believe this! How can someone be so cruel?!" Becky said.

"I don't know, let's just get everyone out of here." Will said. Everyone was so focused on rescuing the prisoners they forgot to watch the stairs.

"Seems I guessed right." Everyone froze in place.

"Oh crap." Trista said as everyone turned to face the speaker. A group of five Shoran stood at the entryway to the room. The girls recognized two of them right away. One was the berserker they had faced back in Heatherfield and the other was the one who claimed to be the second command of the Shoran, Friv. The other three were unfamiliar. One had a bow and arrow in his hands, another that was shorter and more wiry the others and only seemed to be armed with a pair of small daggers. The one in the center of the group was the most intimidating. He carried a huge double bladed battleaxe in one hand. A crooked scar stood out on the right side of his face. His eyes were hard and cold.

"So we finally meet Guardians." The battleaxe wielder said.

"Who are you!?" Becky called out.

"I am Kisarc, leader of the Shoran mercenary band Iron Saber." Kisarc said. "You have delivered some humiliating defeats to my men. I'm here to correct that."

"Hey, lizard breath, in case you haven't noticed, you're extremely outnumbered here." Trista said. In response Kisarc raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Dozens of Shoran and the guards from outside started pouring in from upstairs. "Oh, never mind."

"Your little rescue mission is over Guardians." Kisarc said, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He raised his arm and pointed towards the girls and their friends. "Kill them!"

"Wah! Blunk knew it! Blunk knew it! Blunk should of stayed home!" The Passling cried out in fright.

"Looks the time for subtlety is over! Sarah, the cell doors!" Becky cried out. Sarah waved her arms and busted the doors to the cells open in rapid succession. "Elyon, Blunk! Get those people out of here! Mom, you and everyone else cover them! Once they're all out get out of here! We'll handle these guys!" With that said the girls rushed into battle, the charging soldiers heading strait for them. Amy fired twin jets of water into the oncoming mob, knocking several of them backwards onto the ground. Sarah ripped stones up from the floor and used them as projectiles. Trista created a wall of fire, forcing several soldiers to stall their advance, as they shrank back form heat of the flames Lisa blasted them with wind gusts, throwing them into their comrades who were still coming up behind them. Becky fired off several lighting bolts, stunning several of their attackers into unconsciousness. Even as the fought to hold off the enemy more and more of them poured into the room and they slowly forced the girls back.

"There's too many of them!" Lisa shouted as she continued to use air gusts to throw the enemy back.

"Don't worry about it! We just need to hold them long enough for the others to get away!" Becky cried out as she zapped a group of Shoran. None of them looked back behind them, they just continued to fight as they got pushed back even more.

"We're in some real trouble here!" Sarah shouted in alarm.

"Not any more!" Will jumped into the middle of the enemy, her blades flashing. The former leader of the Guardians was soon joined by her friends. Taranee dashed forward, her mace swinging through the air, clubbing her foes. Cornelia and Caleb fought as a pair, their swords slicing through the air. Hay Lin movements were fluid and graceful as her staff danced before her, striking one foe after another. Irma fought beside Will, her short sword and fist darting out to strike at any enemy that came at her. Chase and Kaz roared a battle cry as they jumped into the fray. Nella charged strait into the fight, she used the shaft of her spear to block and parry the blades of the enemy before striking back. Several soldiers soon laid wounded at her feet.

"Mom! What's going on!?" Becky shouted out.

"What do you think? We're giving you a hand!" Will said as she knocked a Shoran down with a well placed side kick.

"But the prisoners!"

"Elyon and Blunk are getting the last few out of here! They got it covered!"

"They why aren't you guys getting out as well?"

"What, and let you girls have all the fun?"

"Enough of this! Time you faced some of my best warriors!" Kisarc shouted out. "Izaran, take the Earth Guardian!" The berserker gave a guttural roar and charged at Sarah with his hand axes raised over his head. "Terak, the Fire Guardian!" The small Shoran with the knives instantly sprang into action. "Chirin, the Water Guardian is yours!" The archer Shoran raised his bow and focused his sights on Amy. "Friv, the Air Guardian!" Friv got a wicked grin on his face as he drew his sword and long knife. Kisarc then hefted his battleaxe. "The Keeper is mine."

"Watch it everyone! Looks like their bringing out the big guns!" Amy shouted out in alarm. The archer Chirin fired arrows off at an incredibly fast rate. Amy struggled to shoot each projectile out of the air with water bolts. Chirin seemed not to notice and kept on firing. Sarah ripped stones out of the floor and walls and tossed them at Izaran, trying to slow the berserkers advance on her. Terak moved at a lighting pace, bouncing off the floor and wall all around Trista in an attempt to confuse her. The Fire Guardian fired off fireballs, trying to hit the nimble little lizard man, but couldn't score a hit. Terak moved even faster and faster until he was moving so fast he left after images of himself, causing Trista to lose his real position.

"Oh crap, this guy is a ninja!" She grunted in frustration. The copies suddenly disappeared and Terak pushed off of the wall high above Trista while her back was turned. Diving strait at her with his knives poised to strike. She spotted her assailant at the last second and side stepped the blow. Terak instantly spun around and engaged Trista in close range combat. Friv and Lisa circled each other cautiously, each waiting for the other to make a move. Friv suddenly dashed forward, swinging both of his weapons in a deadly arc. Lisa somersaulted over the attack and buffeted Friv with air blasts before the warrior could recover. Friv was thrown forward, he twisted around and crouched into a skidding stop. He pushed off the floor and ran at Lisa again. Becky was locked in deadly combat with Kisarc. The Shoran leader swung his weapon again an again, keeping Becky on her guard. The young Keeper of the Heart did her best to fire lighting bolts at her attacker, but couldn't get a clean shot off. Kisarc spun around a bolt and brought his axe down from above his head. Becky dodged to the side and the blade buried itself into the stone floor. Kisarc tried to pull it free, but it was stuck fast. Becky seeing her chance rushed forward.

"You lose big guy!" She shouted as she fired a bolt off at point blank range. Kisarc tried to dodge, but couldn't get out of the way in time. He roared in pain and frustration as he was thrown backwards by the force of Becky's attack. Amy was growing worried about her ability to hold off Chirin, the archer kept firing off arrows at an incredibly fast rate, yet he didn't seem to be running out of ammo. Sweat formed on her brow as she tried to come up with a way to strike back, but it was impossible to think while concentrating on not getting hit. Amy finally got a lucky break when a Shoran trooper knocked out by a blow of Hay Lin's staff slid across the floor, forcing Chirin to jump out of the way. Amy wasted no time in firing a huge blast of water, shoving Chirin into the wall. The archer dropped his bow and slid to the floor. Sarah pounded Izaran with stones, slammed him with rock pillars she made pop out of the walls and floor, but nothing seemed to faze him. The berserker flung one of his hand axes at her. Sarah dodged and the blade clanged off of the bars of a nearby cell. The Earth Guardian was struck with a sudden idea. She raised her arms and ripped bars out of the wall. With a wave of her arms she hurled them at the enraged warrior. The bars caught him horizontally across his chest and knocked him off his feet. Sarah continued to push with her powers. When Izaran hit a wall she bent the bars and buried them in the stones, pinning his arms to his sides. He roared angrily and tried to get free. Sarah came forward, she concentrated and her fist became incased in chunks of stone. She decked the trapped berserker across his face, knocking him out.

Trista continued to trade blows with Terak using every bit of her martial arts abilities, aided by the occasional fireball. She suddenly dropped and swept her leg out in an attempt to trip her foe, but the nimble little Shoran jumped over the attack and kicked Trista in the chest, knocking her back.

"Trista!' Kaz yelled as he rushed to the Fire Guardian's aid.

"Kaz stay back!" She yelled. Terak turned and brandished his daggers. Kaz just kept on coming however. Before the lizard man could attack Kaz Trista blasted him with a hastily fired fireball. Terak tumbled head over heels and skidded off to the side.

Friv and Lisa continued their fight, neither of them able to gain the upper hand. Friv charged Lisa once again, his mouth locked in a furious grimace. Instead of trying to get out of the way this time Lisa let him come strait at her. Friv sensing triumph lifted his weapons for the kill. At the last second Lisa used an air burst to launch herself upwards. Friv swung his weapons but cut nothing but empty space. Before he could recover Lisa spun around midair and caught the side of the surprised warrior's face with a kick. The lizard man's head snapped to the side as he was knocked off his feet.

"Very impressive Guardians." Kisarc said as he pushed himself up from the ground. "I see now why my men have had such a though time with you. But even with your superior abilities you're no match for hundreds of troops!" Becky could see the Shoran commander was right. Soldiers continued to pour in from above. Will and the others were doing their best to hold them off, but it would only be a matter of time till they were all overrun.

"We've got to get out of here!" Amy shouted as she mowed down a row of the enemy with a water blast.

"But the prisoners!" Becky cried out. Lighting crackled from her fingertips.

"Are all out of here!" Elyon shouted as she finally joined the fray. Energy bolts flew from her out stretched hands and exploded among the swarm of soldiers. Rock and people were flung into the air. The attack form the powerful ruler of Meridian gave the enemy reason to pause. It was the break they needed.

"Blunk! Elyon! Open folds! We're out of here!" Becky shouted as she created one of the shimmering holes in the fabric of space. Blunk and Elyon quickly followed suit. With three folds open the gang quickly started jumping through. Everyone was retreating except Nella, who continued to fight with unwavering intensity.

"Nella! We are leaving!" Chase shouted out. The young princess slashed one last Shoran with the business end of her spear before reluctantly turning away and jumping into one of the folds. Quickly followed by Chase, Elyon and the girls.

"Damn!" Kisarc shouted in outrage as the three folds snapped shut. "We will meet again Guardians, count on it!"

Back on Kandrakar the everything was total chaos like when the girls had first brought Chase and his men over from Eldrin, only a hundred times worse. They were in the main hall of the temple. The floor was littered with people so weak they couldn't even move. They was hardly any room to stand, let alone move about the room. Those that had the strength to walk were being directed by Luba to leave the hallway. Tibor and Halinor were doing the same thing at other doorways. Lillian was using her powers to heal the most critically injured, but the toll of using so much of her power was beginning to show. Without saying anything Elyon moved into the crowd and used her own magic to help those that were suffering.

"I'm glad to see you all back safely." The Oracle said from behind everyone. "I would speak with you about what you encountered on Eldrin, but as you can see we're a little overwhelmed at the moment. Can I ask that you all head for the council chamber. I'll join you there as soon as I am able." Becky nodded and everyone made their way out of the hall. Almost an hour later a very tired looking Oracle followed by the rest of the council and Elyon appeared.

"How are my people?" Chase asked in a worried tone.

"We've healed the worst of the injuries, and no one seems to be in any immediate danger now." The Oracle said in a tired voice. "Your people are a hardy lot, the pain some of them have endured…"

"I am grateful for all you and the council have done for us." Chase said.

"There is no need for thanks young one, it is Kandrakar's job to help those in need." The Oracle said. "Before we go on, I would hear the events of the mission." Becky went on to relay what the horrible conditions of the make shift prison and the fight in the lower reaches of the fort.

"Torture!?" Halinor shouted out. "To what end!?"

"We don't know, we didn't stop to ask to many questions." Becky said.

"This is disturbing, to say the least." The Oracle said. "The more pressing question right now is what to do with everyone. You brought nearly seven hundred prisoners over. We simply cannot support that many people for any kind of extended period of time, and I don't want to send them back to Eldrin."

"What about Earth?" Becky said.

"I know it's been done before, but it would be a difficult task to hide this many people." The Oracle said. He leaned his chin on his hand in thought.

"I have a better idea. Meridian." Elyon said. "My people know what it's like to be ruled over by a tyrant and will gladly open their arms to those suffering a similar plight."

"An excellent idea. We can begin moving them tomorrow." The Oracle said.

"Thank you Elyon, my people and I are now in your debt." Chase said.

"So what do we do know? We've got to stop Logrim, what he's doing is unthinkable and there are a lot more people for him to hurt back on Eldrin." Becky said.

"We'll find a way." Will said.

"Mom?" Becky said in a confused tone.

"Me and the others have been talking. We've decided to stay involved in this fight. You're up against some very tough odds and a very nasty costumer in Logrim and his lackeys, and we want to help." Will said.

"But isn't this supposed to be our jobs?" Lisa asked.

"There's one thing you should remember. Once a Guardian, always a Guardian. As long as we have the strength, we'll stand up and help those in need. So what do you say? You going to let us stay on as your backup?" Will asked. Becky turned to look at her friends who all nodded in agreement.

"The more the merrier." Becky answered.

"What about you Elyon? You in too?" Cornelia asked.

"You know I would, but if I'm bringing the refugees to Meridian then I'm going to have to stay and oversee things." Elyon said with a sigh. "At least I got to be part of things for once."

"Does Blunk have to go again too?" Everyone broke into a fit of laughter at the Passling's comment. Even though Becky was laughing she couldn't help but worry. How could she not after seeing what Logrim was capable of. Something told her that they would see a lot worse before this was over.

**There you go! I hope you found it worth the wait! I promise I'll do better about getting the next chapter up sooner! **

**Preview time! In the next chapter the team gets sperated during a battle on Eldrin and a love long hidden comes to light! See you then! **


	14. Chapter 14 Hidden Feelings

**Hello everyone! Chapter fourteen has arrived! I know it took awhile, but at least the wait wasn't as long this time! I thankfully had more time to work on this chapter then the previous one! I will be going on vaction at the end of March, which Im really looking forward to since I'm going to Sakuracon in Seattle! I'm so excited! Yeah anime!**

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I appreciate everyone's comments! I also need to say a very big thank you to LordofDarkness2099, who many chapters back through several messages convinced me to add the couple I'm introducing here. I know you've been eagerly awaiting this chapter my friend and I hope it meets your expectations! Once agian I ask for reviews so I know how I'm doing! On a final note, a disclaimer: I do not own the song "The Will to Love" in any way, shape or form. **

Chapter 14: Hidden Feelings

Lighting burst from Becky's hands, zapping a trio of Shoran that were charging at Irma from behind. The former Water Guardian gave her a quick thumbs up before returning to the fight. Becky quickly turned and fired more bolts at another group that were coming form another direction. Everywhere she looked there were Shoran, they were completely surrounded by the lizard men. Amy was creating geysers from an underground river. Pillars of water exploded beneath the enemy's feet, throwing them through the air. Sarah was entangling as many of the bad guys as she could in vines that she made burst forth from the ground. Lisa was using her powers to create clouds of dust to blind and confuse the enemy. Trista rained fireballs onto the heads of the Shoran from the air. Will and company were in the thick of it, trying to keep enough of the Shoran at bay so they didn't get overwhelmed, but the situation wasn't looking good. Becky would've opened a fold to get them out of there, but she couldn't stop fighting, none of them could.

"Not exactly the mission we had planned, hunh!?" Trista said in frustration. Becky couldn't agree more. She could see the situation was hopeless, they had to get out of there and fast.

"Everyone! Punch a hole through the thinnest part of their lines! We need to make a run for it!" Becky called out. Will signaled to the others and they all converged on one spot and started cutting a path through the enemy. Trista and Amy assisted from the air, blasting the Shoran with fireballs and water bolts. Sarah made a thick wall of dirt pop up from the ground, slowing down the advance of the troops behind and to the sides of the team. Lisa created a wind funnel to push the lizard men out of the way. "That's it! We're almost through!" At last there was a break in the enemy's formation. Even as they made a run for it the gap began to close and Sarah's makeshift barricades were breached. The Shoran swarmed at the retreating group, trying to run them down. A large knot of them suddenly formed and ran strait into the middle of the group on the ground, cutting them into two separate groups.

"Crap!" Irma shouted out. The girls provided air support, trying to help those that had become surrounded. Which included Will.

"Mom!" Becky cried out in fright. She fired several lighting bolts off at once, nailing several Shoran. The sudden reduction in enemies gave Will's group a opening to retreat, but away from the others.

"Becky! Get out of here! We'll meet up later!" Will cried as she and those with her retreated into the nearby woods, the Shoran right on their tails. Becky was about to go after them but a sudden barrage of arrows blocked her.

"C'mon Becky! We have to go!" Lisa cried out. The young Keeper of the Heart hesitated for only a moment before reluctantly flying off towards the rest of the group. They were pushed in the opposite direction from Will, but here was no help for it. The Shoran were just to numerous to try and fight. Especially with their now reduced numbers. In their flight they came across a dried riverbed that sat in a shallow gulley. They followed the dried stream for what seemed like forever. Finally after the sounds of pursuit had faded and it looked like everyone was about to collapse did Becky call for everyone to stop.

"I think huff that we huff lost them." Becky said, out of breath from the run. She and the other Guardians had landed and ran with the others so they wouldn't be spotted form the air as well as not to get ahead of those who couldn't fly. In a detached part of her mind Becky vowed to exercise more during gym class. She quickly took stock of who was there. Lisa, Amy, Sarah and Trista were all there, just as out of breath as Becky. Irma was sitting against one of the curved walls of the riverbed. Her head was tilted back, her eyes closed as she struggled to catch her breath. Kaz stood to one side, bent double at the waist. Taranee sat down next to him, clutching her side. Caleb was there as well, and even with his superior stamina he was obviously winded. The others were gone though. Hay Lin, Cornelia, Chase, Nella and Will had all been cut off and driven who knew how far away Becky thought desperately. She couldn't figure out how things could of gone so bad so quickly. It was just that morning they were telling each other that this mission was going to be easy, just some simple recon and the possibility picking up a few more members of the scattered remnants of Eldrin's army.

It had only been a week since they had rescued the prisoners that Logrim had been holding in the abandoned fort. Elyon and the people of Meridian had risen to the challenge of helping the refugees of Eldrin. A large camp had been set up on the plains near the castle. Thanks to some fresh air, good food, and the generosity of Meridian's people the refugees were quickly recovering. Chase had brought several people back to Kandrakar to talk with the Oracle and the girls about what they had been asked about while being tortured. Unfortunately, they didn't learn much from these talks. The stories provided were all the same. While being tortured they were asked about any legends or stories that told of a glowing green stone and where it could be found. Chase claimed that were no such tales on Eldrin, leaving them with still no clue as to what Logrim was after.

"So what do we do now?" Sarah asked after another interview that produced no new clues.

"That's hard to say. Logrim has a huge army. Trying to take them on directly isn't exactly a good idea." Becky stated.

"I think we need to bolster our own forces and gather information." Chase said.

"Okay, but how do we do that?" Trista asked.

"Remember how I said my father ordered the remainder of our army to fall back to the capital? Well, not all of them were able to make it back in time, and from what we learned while on the run they had set themselves up as several small resistance bands. We were on our way to meet up with one of these bands when we got ambushed and you found us." Chase explained.

"So you suggest that we try and track down these guys and bring them back to Merdian." Becky said.

"Exactly, and while we're looking for them we watch Logrim's men and see what they're up to."

"Well, it sounds kind of random to me, but I don't have any better ideas at the moment." Becky said.

"Okay, I know just where to start." Chase then went on to describe an area where one of the pockets of soldiers might be. The following day they went in. Once again Nella had managed to sneak her way into the group. By the time they realized the young princess was there it was to late to send her back. Chase was of course furious and vowed to find a way to keep her from coming. Things went well at first. They managed to locate the soldiers rather quickly, while it was only a group of fourteen men they were still excited by the find. They sent the soldiers to Meridian and proceeded to try and gather information on the enemy. They searched for awhile, trying to find some sign of Logrim's men, but they couldn't find any trace of them. After a few hours they became discouraged and grew careless, which led them to walk right into an entire company of Shoran. Before they new it they were surrounded and were fighting for their lives, leading to their current situation.

"Trista, Taranee, can you try and contact the others telepathically, see where they are?" Becky asked.

"Trista has the best chance of doing that. My range isn't what it used to be." Taranee said. Trista closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, calling out to Will, Hay Lin and Cornelia.

"Sorry, they must be too far away." Trista said after a couple of minutes.

"So what do we do now?" Sarah asked.

"We'll rest here for a few minutes, then go back and look for mom and the others." Becky said. She felt incredibly guilty for their current predicament. Something had told her that just blindly wandering around enemy controlled territory was a bad idea, but she had gone along with it anyway. And now Will and the others were missing. What if they were hurt or even… Becky quickly banished the thought from her mind. She couldn't think like that, she had to believe they were okay. "Irma, Taranee, Caleb, Kaz, I'm going to send you back."

"Like hell you are!" Irma said quickly. "We're just not going to take off while our friends are in trouble!" Taranee nodded in agreement.

"In case you've forgotten, my pregnant wife is out there!" Caleb said.

"As are my brother and sister!" Kaz said.

"Look, it's my fault that this happened. I should of never let us come here without a plan. I have to fix this." Becky hung her head in shame. Tears began flowing from her eyes.

"It isn't just your fault Becky." Irma said. "We all made a mistake, we got sloppy, plain and simple. Don't blame yourself so much, just learn from the experience." Becky was surprised at Irma's statement, she would of never of guessed that the former Water Guardian could sound so wise.

"Alright, you guys stay. You're right, you can't leave your loved ones behind anymore then I could." Becky said. She then turned and faced at Lisa. "Looks like you're playing scout again." Lisa turned invisible and went to have a look around while Trista monitored her thoughts. After finding no sign of their pursuers they returned to the sight of their battle to try and pick up Will's trail. It wasn't very hard, the Shoran that had gone after them had left a very obvious path for them to follow. The only problem was that it destroyed any evidence of where Will and the others had gone.

"I think it's safe to say they didn't catch them." Taranee said at one point. "The trail they left suggests they were blindly searching for them. They must of turned off at some point and the Shoran missed it and just kept on going."

"But that means we missed it too." Amy said. "Any luck contacting them Trista?"

"No, I've been trying forever, they must still be on the move." They continued to follow the trail, hoping to find some clue to where Will's group had gone. That hope died when they suddenly came to the edge of the forest and found themselves at the bottom of a large expanse of rocky foothills.

"Crap! There's no way we can track them now!" Becky cried out in frustration.

"It doesn't matter much now. The sun is setting, it'll be dark soon and we can't track them if we can't see where we're going." Caleb said. "We should find someplace to camp for the night."

"Are you sure Caleb?" Irma asked. "What if the Shoran are still chasing them?"

"If we can't find them then neither can they." Irma nodded in acceptance of Caleb's logic.

"Hey, I think I see a cave up there." Sarah said, pointing to an opening in the rocky hills. The group made their way up the slope and found that indeed it was a cave. The entrance wasn't very large, but he space beyond it was quite large.

"Perfect, we can rest here tonight and start again in the morning." Becky said. "I just hope mom and the others have someplace safe to sleep tonight."

"Heck, for all we know they made it to some village and are sleeping in beds instead of on the ground like we're going too." Taranee said.

"Yeah, they're probably sitting in hot baths eating a warm meal right now." Becky looked at Irma in concern. The brown haired woman just didn't sound like herself. She wasn't the only one who noticed either. Both Caleb and Taranee looked up at the hint of stress in their friend's voice.

"You okay Irma?" Taranee asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" Irma said quickly.

"Look, you don't have to hide it if you're worried, we all are…" Taranee said, she reached out to Irma, but she wouldn't let her friend touch her.

"I'm fine, really." Irma said. Taranee didn't look convinced, but didn't push the matter either.

"Why don't Kaz and I go find something to eat while the rest of you set up camp here in the cave." Caleb said.

"Good idea, I think we can all use something to eat after the day we've had." Becky said. Caleb and Kaz left while the girls went about the business of preparing the cave for the night. Sarah made beds for everyone by making clumps of grass and vines pop out of the dirt floor. Taranee and Irma went in search of firewood. When they came back Trista started a fire in a fire pit that Becky had built in the back of the cave. Lisa meanwhile was erasing any trace of their passage up the mountain in case the Shoran came back. Amy filled up several stone basins that Sarah had made with water. Just as they were finishing up Caleb and Kaz came back with several small rabbit like creatures that they had managed to catch. Soon the cave was filled with the scent of roasting meat. Everyone ate in silence, no one felt like making conversation right then. They were all afraid to speculate on what had happened to the missing members of their group. Trista kept trying to establish contact with them, but always came up empty handed. As the evening wore on people drifted away form the fire, lost in their own thoughts. Soon only Becky and Lisa were left.

"You're worried, aren't you?" Lisa asked.

"Of course I am, how can I not be?" Becky said. She pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "We've been separated for hours now and we can't find her."

"Will's a fighter Becky, she'll be fine and so will everyone else, you'll see." Lisa put her arm around Becky and pulled her close. A sharp sound caught their notice. They looked towards the source and saw Irma absently tossing rocks at the wall of the cave. She had a blank look on her face, not even paying attention to what she was doing.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's worried." Becky said. She watched Irma with growing concern.

"Well yeah, three of her friends are out there. Caleb is probably going out of his mind right now as well. We're all worried." Lisa said. Neither of them said anything after that. They just sat there staring at the fire, letting it's glow warm their skin. Becky and Lisa weren't the only ones to have a conversation that night either. Trista was sitting off to one side thinking to herself when Kaz suddenly appeared.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked. Trista just shrugged, Kaz taking the gesture to mean yes sat down next to her.

"How you holding up?" Trista asked once Kaz was settled.

"Alright I guess." He said. "I mean, yeah, I'm worried of course. But there's not much I can do about it right now."

"We'll find them. I mean, your sister is with them after all. I've seen her when she's pissed off, I doubt those scaly idiots would stand a chance against her, I know I wouldn't." Kaz chuckled a little at Trista's attempt at humor.

"You're right about that, she can get scary when she's mad. She was like that even before the invasion. I remember this on time a few years ago, we snuck a shriek bug into her bedroom. When she walked into her room the bug let out this high pitched noise that scared her to death. You should of heard her scream. When she figured out it was us she chased us all over the castle." Kaz got a smile on his face as he recalled the event.

"That's the sort of thing that makes me glad I'm an only child." Trista said. After a moment they both started laughing. When they calmed down they looked into each others eyes for several seconds. They quickly turned away when they realized what they were doing, the both of them going furiously red in the face.

"You're a very amazing girl, you know that?" Kaz said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Yeah right."

"I mean it, I've never met anyone like you." Kaz said earnestly. Trista suddenly scowled and turned her face away.

"Look, Kaz, I appreciate what your trying to say, but you don't want to bother with me. I'm not the kind of girl you bring home to mom." Before Kaz could respond Trista got up and walked off, leaving the young prince to wonder what he had said wrong.

"We should get some sleep, we've got a long day ahead of us and we'll need to be rested." Becky said some time later.

"Good idea, you guys get some rest, I'll take first watch." Irma said. She got up and started walking towards the front of the cave.

"What about you?" Taranee asked.

"Someone has to keep an eye out for trouble. Don't worry, I'll come wake one of you up in a couple of hours." Before anyone else could protest the brown haired woman left the cave. Becky didn't know what to make of Irma's behavior, there had to be more going on then her just worrying about he others. She just couldn't figure out what. Becky yawned and headed over to a pair of the grass beds that Sarah had purposely placed close together so Becky and Lisa could sleep next to each other. Lisa was already laying down on one. Becky plopped herself down on the other, bone tired. She gave Lisa a kiss goodnight before dozing off.

She awoke sometime later. She didn't know how long she had been asleep, but it couldn't of been long because it was still dark out. The fire had collapsed into a bed of glowing embers. She looked around and saw that everyone was out cold. One of the grass beds was empty and a quick check revealed that Irma wasn't there. Thinking that since she was already awake she would go relieve Irma from watch duty so she could get some sleep herself. As she exited the cave she could hear the sound of someone singing. Looking around she spotted Irma sitting on a outcropping of rock, staring up at the night sky. Becky listened in curiosity to the song Irma sang.

_So many strangers on the street._

_Yeah, nearly everyone you meet._

_Can't relate, can't translate, can't create_

_a connection. No._

_Easier to keep your distance._

_Tread the path of least resistance._

_Don't engage, keep to your cage, stay offstage._

_For protection._

Becky was amazed at Irma's singing voice, she was almost as good as Sarah. The song was really cool as well. A catchy, upbeat pop song from the sound of the words. But there was something else in Irma's voice. A sad undercurrent that carried a hint of loneliness to it. Becky wondered why Irma would use such a tone. But before she could ponder things further the lyrics that Irma sang next not only answered some of her questions, but shocked Becky to her core as well.

_Then everything changes._

_She's there. Life rearranges._

_Winged angel from above…_

_Helped me find the Will… the Will to love…_

_The Will to love… The Will to love…_

_I figured I'd stay on the shelf._

_Truth be told, didn't trust myself:_

_Always fade, don't make the grade, too afraid_

_Of rejection. Oh…_

_I didn't think I had the strength_

_To find a girl on my wavelength._

_Just a runt, always punt. No will to hunt_

_For perfection._

Becky couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was a love song that Irma was singing, and if she was interpreting the words right, the song was about her mom!

_Then everything changes._

_She's there. Life rearranges._

_Winged angel from above…_

_Helped me find the Will… the Will to love…_

_The Will to love… The Will to love…_

_Game's full of surprises._

_Live our share of compromises._

_Still when push comes to shove…_

_She's just the Will to love._

_She's just the Will to love._

_I found the Will to love._

_And everything changes._

_She's here. Life rearranges._

_Winged angel from above…_

_She is just the Will… the Will to love._

_The Will to love… the Will to love… Oh…_

_The Will to love…_

When she finished signing Irma buried her face in her knees. Becky could hear faint sobs floating through the air. The young Keeper slowly approached her, unsure on what to do.

"Irma…" Becky said gently. Irma gasped in fright, her hand instinctively going to the handle of her short sword.

"Becky… It's you, geez you scared me." Irma said. She quickly wiped the tears from her face. "What are you doing up?"

"I woke up and thought I'd take over for you." Becky said.

"Oh, you don't need to do that. I'm not tired." Irma said.

"Well how about some company then?" Becky asked. Irma nodded and Becky took a seat next to her. "It's a nice night out, hunh?"

"Yeah, it is. The sky sure is pretty, but very different from our own." Irma said. Becky just nodded in agreement. There weren't any of the familiar constellations among Eldrin's stars, and they had two moons as well. The bigger of the pair was a deep blue while the smaller one was bright purple. They sat silently for a bit after that. Becky knew she had to ask Irma about the song, but wasn't sure how to approach the subject. What if her suspicions were wrong. Finally her curiosity got the better of her, she just had to know for sure.

"That was a lovely song." She said suddenly. Irma looked at her in surprise.

"You, you heard that!?" She blurted out.

"Yeah, I did. It's about my mom, right? Where'd you hear it? Was it something you wrote?"

"Uh, no. Matt wrote it for her, back when they were your age." Irma said. Seeing the confused look on Becky's face Irma elaborated. "It was when they were just starting to date, long before he started cheating on her."

"Oh, so why were you singing it then?" Becky asked, even though she already had a good idea what the answer was.

"I always liked it. I mean, it's a good song. Even if it was written by a jerk who broke your mom's heart. I obviously don't sing it around Will, but it reminds me of her."

"A song about mom." Becky said quickly, a simple plan forming in her mind.

"Yes."

"Who you're in love with."

"Well yeah… Hey!" Irma cried out, confirming for Becky what she had been guessing at for the past few minutes. Irma's mood over the last few hours was suddenly much clearer. She was scared for Will's safety, the woman she loved.

"That's what I thought." Becky said.

"You sneaky little…" Irma said shaking her head.

"So how long have you been in love with her?"

"For as long as I can remember. Maybe form the minute I met her, I don't know." Irma said sadly.

"And you've never told her?"

"No, and I always pretended to be boy crazy so she wouldn't catch on. Heck, I even went on a couple of dates with Martin just to keep the pretense up." Irma shuddered involuntarily.

"But why? She obviously isn't bothered by such things. I know I was terrified to tell Lisa how I felt about her, but I did and look what happened."

"Yeah, but there's a difference. Lisa felt the same way about you. Will doesn't, she's strait." Irma said sadly. "She likes guys. To her I'm just one of her friends, nothing more. I've come to accept that." Becky wasn't sure how to respond to that, so instead she changed the topic slightly.

"So do any of the others know how you feel?" Becky asked.

"Hay Lin knows. I couldn't keep it from her. She's been my best friend since we were little kids, and it's really hard for me keep secrets from her. Elyon knows too, she walked in on me and Hay Lin talking about it once and I had to tell her. And I think Taranee suspects something. I've accidentally let my mind wander around her and she's looked at me like she has an idea how I feel. As far as I know Cornelia, Caleb and Blunk don't know anything."

"And what have Hay Lin and Elyon suggested you do?" Becky asked, sensing her opening.

"They say that I should confess how I feel to her. Hay Lin really started in on me about it when we all found out about you and Lisa. For three days it was all I heard from her is. 'You need to tell Will, she has a right to know. You're not doing yourself any favors.' I thought I was going to go insane."

"Well, they're right. You should tell her how you feel, if only to get the weight off of your shoulders." Irma opened her mouth to speak, but Becky stopped her with a raised hand. "Hear me out. I know why you think you can't tell her. I don't think you're afraid of being shunned like I did, if you did you would of never of told Hay Lin and Elyon how you feel. I think you're just afraid of the possible rejection. However, you love mom so much you don't want to let go of your feelings for her, and the conflict is tearing you up inside." Becky reached out and put her hand on Irma's shoulder.

"I suppose you might have something there, at least it sounds about right." Irma said quietly.

"I think it is. You want to know something? I think mom is lonely, I see it in her eyes sometimes, she doesn't have anyone special in her life. And you know what? You're lonely too, I can tell just by looking at you. Believe me, I know the feeling. I want mom to be happy, I can't promise she'll return your love, but honestly, I think you could fill that void in her heart. I think it'd be great if you were part of our family." Irma just sat there speechless, a rare occurrence for her. She looked at Becky with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"Becky, I don't know what to say." She finally managed to say after several seconds of openmouthed silence.

"Say that when we find mom you'll tell her how you feel."

"I, I don't know. I'll think about it, okay?" Becky nodded reluctantly, knowing she wasn't going to get any more of a commitment out of Irma right then. "Why don't you go back to sleep?"

"What about you?"

"I want to stay here for a little bit longer. Don't worry, I'll wake Caleb up in a little bit. It'll be fun to hear him grumble and moan, he's gotten kind of soft since his rebel days are over, need to toughen him back up a little." Becky was relived to hear some of Irma's normal personality back in her voice. She got up and headed back inside. As she walked away she could hear Irma once again signing, and it made her smile to know there was someone that loved her mom so much.

The next morning they had a hurried breakfast of leftovers form the previous night and broke camp. Becky told Lisa about her conversation she'd had with Irma the previous night. The blonde haired girl was surprised at the revelation. They decided that for the time being that they shouldn't tell any of the others and should concentrate on finding the missing members of their group. They returned to the path made by the Shoran that had pursued Will's group in the hope that with fresh minds and full daylight they would catch some clue they had missed the previous day. Unfortunately this wasn't the case. After several hours of pouring over the trail for the smallest clue they ended up at the site of the earlier battle empty handed.

"Crap, this is getting us nowhere! We need a bloodhound here!" Trista cried out in frustration.

"Son of a…!" Caleb suddenly yelled as he slapped his forehead.

"What is it!?" Amy asked worriedly.

"Why didn't I think of this before! Blunk!" Looks of comprehension suddenly appeared on Irma and Taranee's faces. The others remained confused however.

"Passlings have incredible senses of smell! Blunk knows Will's and the others scent! He can track them down in no time!" Irma said excitedly.

"Quick! Becky! Send me to Meridian! I'll grab Blunk and get him here in no time!" Becky wasted no time in opening a fold for Caleb. Becky watched Irma while they waited for Caleb to return with Blunk. The young woman was on the verge of jumping out of her skin as she anxiously awaited for Caleb to come back. Becky wanted to say something, but was hesitant because she wasn't sure how much Irma wanted the others to know. After what seemed like an eternity a shimmering fold opened up and Caleb stepped out followed by Blunk.

"Sorry I took so long! It took me longer to find Blunk then I thought it would. I also left word for Elyon that we might need her." Caleb said.

"Good idea, hopefully we won't need her though." Becky said. She turned and looked at the Passling. "Think you can find my mom?" She asked with a hint of desperation in her voice.

"Blunk find Will and others!" Blunk said confidently. He stuck his nose to the ground and began sniffing noisily.

"He sounds like a pig…" Trista said under her breath.

"Will go this way!" Blunk said excitedly, pointing down the pursuit trail.

"We know that!" Irma cried out.

"It's fine Blunk! Lead on!" Taranee said quickly, looking at her friend with a perplexed expression on her face. Blunk put his nose back to the ground and started sniffing again. He unerringly led them down the path. After following it about halfway Blunk suddenly turned off the trail and went trough some large bushes.

"How did we miss this!?" Sarah said when they saw the footprints in the mud beyond the underbrush.

"They must of used those branches to swing over the bushes!" Amy said pointing to the low hanging limbs of a nearby tree that were just a couple of feet above the brush. "That's why we didn't see any signs of them leaving the trail! They didn't leave any!"

"That is so like Will! She hasn't lost her touch in the least!" Irma said with a huge grin on her face. Blunk led them trough the woods and onto a game trail. After going for a couple of miles they broke through the edge of the woods near a small village.

"Will go towards town!" Blunk said pointing at the village.

"Ha! What did I tell you guys!? They must of holed up here last night!" Taranee said in triumph.

"Yeah! We'll walk into the inn and find them lounging around looking all rested while the rest of us show up looking like we slept in a cave, which would make sense cause we did." Irma said happily. Becky giggled at Irma's rambling. There were smiles on everyone's faces, but those smiles quickly vanished when the sounds of screams floated over from the village and columns of black, oily smoke floated into the sky.

"Oh what now!?" Trista cried out. Lisa took to the air, she called out to the others in a horrified voice.

"It's the Shoran! They're burning the village!"

"Why can't we catch a break!?" Trista shouted angrily.

"Guardians! Let's move!" As they took to the air Becky continued to shout out orders. "Amy, Sarah, Lisa, try to contain the fire! Trista! You and me will try and hold off the Shoran. Irma! You and the others get the townspeople out of there!"

The fires started by the Shoran were spreading quickly through the village, over a dozen buildings were already engulfed in flames. Amy shot twin streams of water down on the roof of one building, extinguishing the flames before it completely burned down. Sarah showered clouds of dirt over several burning houses, smothering the fires. Lisa used air blasts to blow out a burning building like it was a candle. Yet despite their efforts the fires continued to spread, the fires leaping from one building to another. While Amy and the other two worked to suppress the fires Becky and Trista were doing their best to hold off the Shoran. They attacked from the air, throwing fireballs and lighting bolts at the lizard men. They pushed the Shoran away from the town so they couldn't go after the villagers who were fleeing in a panic. Irma and Taranee were doing their best to round up the frightened citizens while Caleb and Kaz led them away from both the fires and the Shoran. Irma spied a young girl crying in fright, a loud crack sounded out as a burning timber split above the child. The young brown haired woman dashed forward and scooped up the girl moments before the burning wood crashed down where she had been standing. Irma deposited the girl into the arms of her mother who came running up. Caleb then led the two of them away. All through the chaos they were looking for Will's group, but saw no sign of them.

"This isn't working!" Amy shouted. "The fires are to big for us to fight on our own! Lisa! Make a whirlwind in the center of the flames!"

"But that'll just make the fires worse!" Lisa cried out.

"Trust me!" Lisa shook her head and did as Amy said. The flames quickly grew stronger once she created the tornado, but Amy quickly acted upon her plan. She fired a large stream of water directly into the center of the air funnel. The centrifugal force of the spinning winds sprayed water in every direction at once.

"That's brilliant!" Sarah shouted happily as she augmented the water funnel with more of her dirt clouds. The burning wood of the buildings hissed and popped as they were doused by the giant sprinkler that Amy had devised. They moved through the village with the water funnel and between that and Sarah's dust clouds the fire was soon contained. The Shoran roared in outrage at seeing their handiwork ruined. They fired a barrage of arrows at Trista and Becky, creating a long enough pause in their attacks for the Shoran to rush the village. With bloodlust in their eyes they sought anyone they could vent their anger on.

"Ah crap!" Trista yelled in anger.

"Watch out!" Becky called out to those on the ground. Irma spun around at Becky's warning, she planted her feet, drew her short sword and watched as the Shoran bore down on her. She had a grim, determined look on her face. These were the bastards that had chased and tried to kill her beloved Will, and she was going to make them pay. A group of six surrounded her and grinned at what they thought was going to be an easy kill. They raised their swords and charged. Irma ducked the blow of the first one and slashed him with her sword. Two more came at her and swung low. Irma jumped over their blades and kicked one of the astonished lizard men in the face, sending him flying. She landed on the blade of the other one, pinning it to the ground. Before the shocked Shoran could try and pull his sword free Irma punched him in the face. Another of her attackers ran forward with the tip of his weapon pointed forward. Irma spun around to the side, her blade flashing in the sunlight. Even as the lizard man fell Irma turned to meet the attack of another Shoran. Their blades clanged together and the Shoran pressed forward with all of his weight. Irma suddenly stepped back, causing the lizard man to stumble forward. As he fell Irma drove the handle of her sword into the back of his skull, knocking him out. The last Shoran came up behind Irma, his sword raised high over his head. Irma just slammed her fist into his face, knocking him backwards. Irma smiled at the results of the fight and turned to leave, not noticing one of the Shoran sit up and draw a knife. He pulled his arm back and threw the blade before collapsing.

"Irma!" Irma spun around and there was the sound of metal hitting metal. The throwing knife spun in circles and buried itself in the ground. Irma gasped at the sight of a familiar redheaded woman crouching nearby, her knives extended out from her sides. A huge grin crossed Irma's face as the woman slowly stood up.

"Will!" she cried out happily.

"Sorry I'm late." Will said apologetically.

"Better late then never. Are you okay?" Irma asked as tears of joy formed at the corners of her eyes. The battle cry of the Shoran interrupted their reunion. Several dozen of the mercenaries looking to avenge their comrades surrounded them.

"Later, looks like we've got some more butts to kick!" Will said. She raised her knives and stood back to back with Irma.

"Got your back!" Irma said. The Shoran rushed them all at once. The two woman fought in unison, it was like a dance. They spun and twirled around each other, striking out with their weapons, and protecting each other from harm. After several minutes of intense fighting they were breathing hard and sweating heavily. "Just like the old days, hunh?" Irma asked as she parried a sword strike.

"You know it." Will answered with a grim smile. She knocked one Shoran down that was quickly replaced by another. "Looks like we're in a bit of trouble here." She bent forward and Irma rolled backwards across her back, landing a kick to the jaw of the lizard man she was fighting followed by driving her feet into the chest of the Shoran in front of Will. Irma stood up and Will spun around so they were once again back to back.

"Yeah, but it's nothing we can't handle." Irma shot back even as the Shoran closed in on them. A cry of surprise from the back made the lizard men in the front turn in confusion. When Irma saw what was going on she cried out in triumph. Hay Lin was creating a path through the enemy with her staff. Taranee and Cornelia were right there helping her. Will shouted out too when she saw Caleb, Chase, Kaz and Nella coming from the opposite direction.

"We're here!" Hay Lin shouted out merrily.

"About time!" Will shouted out. Soon all of them were engaged in the fight. One by one the Shoran fell. The girls joined the fight having already dealt with the Shoran in the other parts of the village. Using their powers they easily mopped up the remnants that Will and the others were fighting.

"Retreat!" One of the Shoran shouted out and the mercenaries quickly fell back, taking their wounded with them.

"Mom!" Becky called out happily as she landed and gave Will a fierce hug. "We were looking all over for you!"

"Same here, we left the village this morning to look for you guys. When we saw the smoke we hurried back." Will explained. Becky looked around and saw similar joyful reunions among the others. Looking over Will's shoulder she saw Irma standing off to one side. She knew what she had to do.

"Irma was really worried about you." Becky said as the broke the hug with her mother.

"Really?" Will said as she looked Irma in confusion. She walked over to her friend. "You were worried about me?" Everyone looked at what was going on between the two women.

"Well, uh, yeah. I mean you aren't as young as you used to be." Irma tried to make it sound like she was joking, but failed. Hay Lin looked at Irma from behind Will and urged her to say something. Irma just remained silent.

"Is something wrong?" Will asked.

"No, nothing." Becky groaned in frustration. She could tell Irma wasn't going to say anything so she decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Winged angel from above… Helped me to find the Will… the Will to love…" She said in a singsong voice. Everyone stared at her in shock.

"Where did you hear that!?" Will asked.

"I heard Irma singing it last night." All eyes went back to Irma.

"Irma?" Will said.

"Yeah, I was." She said quietly.

"Why were you singing Matt's love song about me?" Will looked Irma in the eyes, searching for an answer. Irma closed her eyes and took a deep breath, knowing that there was no escaping it now.

"Because I love you." Irma said before moving in and kissing Will. Hay Lin cheered and Taranee just smiled. Cornelia and Caleb had stunned looks on their faces. Irma finished kissing Will and slowly backed away.

"Irma…" Will said in a bewildered voice. "I don't know what to say. I'm not sure I… I don't know if…" Irma looked completely crestfallen at Will's response.

"You don't have to say anything. I, I know you don't feel the same way. I won't mention it again, so just forget this happened, okay?" Irma turned and ran off, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Irma!" Hay Lin called after her friend as she went to comfort her. Becky felt terrible, she should of never pushed Irma into confessing.

"We should get the villagers to Meridian. The town is wasted." Amy said in an attempt to get everyone's focus of what had just happened. "Plus the Shoran could come back with reinforcements." While they ushered the villagers through a set of folds Will took some time to think. She felt very confused, she had never considered the possibility of being with another woman, she was strait wasn't she? Irma was one of her best friends, but she had to admit she liked the feeling she had gotten from the kiss, but she liked guys, didn't she? She had always been very close with Irma, they had grown even closer after Matt had cheated on her. Irma had spent countless hours with her, helping her get over her broken heart. But she didn't love her, not like that, did she? Could it be she was just in denial? Will stopped and thought about what she looked for in a person. She liked to laugh, so a good sense of humor was important. They had to have a caring heart and willing to help those in need. And most importantly they had to be loyal. Irma was all of that and more. But she wasn't a lesbian, was she? Will closed her eyes and searched her heart, looking for an answer and tried to form a picture in her mind of who she truly loved. The image that came to mind gave her the answer she was looking for. She needed to find Irma and give her a real response.

Becky had just seen the last of the villagers through the folds. The others were waiting to go back home now and she was looking for Irma and Hay Lin. She was kicking herself for the mess she had created. She should of just left well enough alone, but instead she had stuck her nose where it didn't belong and now both Irma and her mom were hurting. She found Irma and Hay Lin sitting on a pile of rubble at the far end of the village. Irma had her face buried in Hay Lin's shoulder crying profusely.

"Irma, I'm so sorry, I should of minded my own business." Becky said. Irma looked up and wiped the tears from her face and managed a weak smile.

"You don't have anything to apologize for Becky, I always knew this was how it would turn out. I just didn't want to deal with it." Irma said. Hay Lin hugged her best friend in an attempt to comfort her.

"But you wouldn't of had to deal with it if I had just kept my big fat mouth shut." Becky wiped a tear from her eye. "I pushed you to tell her and you're paying the price for my mistake. I wanted the two of you to be happy, but I didn't think things through."

"Listen to me Becky. It does hurt right now, it hurts beyond all measure." The young Keeper flinched at Irma's pain filled words. "But at least now I know for sure that there's no chance for the two of us, and that's better then just wishing and hoping. I was so scared that I would lose her before I let her know how I feel. I took my chance and I have no regrets. I'm glad you did what you did."

"So am I." Will said startling everyone.

"Hey…" Irma said.

"Hey yourself." Will said. "How you doing?"

"I'm fine, really."

"No, you're not." Will walked towards Irma and knelled down in front of her. Hay Lin looked at Will's face. Whatever she saw made her suddenly get up and grab Becky's arm.

"I think they need some privacy, so why don't we get out of their way." She said as she dragged Becky away.

"Hey! Wait a sec!" Becky said in protest. Hay Lin put a finger to her mouth and nodded towards Will and Irma. They rounded a corner and they ducked down so they could watch what was going on without being seen. "Hay Lin, what are we doing?" Becky asked in a whisper.

"Just watch." Was all the young Chinese woman said. The peered through a gap in the charred timbers unseen.

"Will, I know you must be a little freaked out, and I'm sorry. And don't blame Becky, she was just trying to help me. Lets go on like before and just be friends, okay?" Irma said.

"I don't think that's going to happen." Will said.

"Don't say that Will, you mean too much to me. I know I can't have you for a girlfriend, but I'll die if you aren't my friend either." Irma said quickly. "I know this is a lot to take in right now, and if you need some time and space I'll understand." Irma stopped talking when Will put her hands on Irma's shoulders.

"Irma, for once, just be quiet." Will put her hand s on Irma's cheeks and pulled her into a loving kiss.

"Will…" Irma said breathlessly when they came up for air a couple of minutes later.

"I've done some thinking Irma, and I realized how much you mean to me. I can't imagine what my world would be like if you weren't in it. I'm not sure where this is going to lead, but I do know that I love you Irma Lair, and I want us to be a couple." Irma began crying in joy and hugged Will close.

"I love you so much Will, you don't know. You're my everything and you've just fulfilled my deepest desire. Thank you so much!"

"You're very welcome." Will said as she stroked Irma's hair. She was crying now as well. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be in love and it was wonderful to be reminded what it was like by someone so close to her heart. It felt even better then when she had been in love with Matt. She looked over Irma's shoulder and grinned. "You two can come out now." Becky and Hay Lin jumped out from their hiding spot. Both of them had huge smiles on their faces.

"That was so beautiful! I can't wait to tell the others!" Hay Lin shouted in delight. She ran off calling for her friends. Relief flooded through Becky, she loved seeing her mom so happy.

"Let's get back home, me and Irma have some things to talk about." Will said. Becky could only nod. They returned to the cheers of their friends. Everyone congratulated Will and Irma. Becky got them back to Earth, once back home Will and Irma instantly went out to celebrate. Becky stayed up waiting for her mom to get back home, but by eleven o'clock she decided Will wouldn't be back anytime soon and should get some sleep.

The next morning Becky awoke with a yawn. She crawled out of bed and went to see if Will was up yet. She stuck her head in her mom's bedroom and quickly ducked back out, her face a deep shade of crimson. Will and Irma were fast asleep in Will's bed, and from the clothes strewn around the room she guessed they were both naked under the blankets that covered them. Becky took another quick peek, trying not to see anything she shouldn't see. Both Will and Irma had very satisfied smiles on their faces while they slept. Becky went to make some breakfast for herself, trying desperately to remove the image of what she had just seen from her mind. She figured that in the future she'd have to be more careful. She blushed even more deeply when she started thinking about what it would be like to make love to her own girlfriend.

**And there you have it! Chapter fourteen is done! What did you think of me using "The Will to Love"? I couldn't come up with another way for Becky to discover Irma's fellings for Will and then I remembered the song and it just seemed like the perfect way to reveal Irma's love for Will. Thankfully it didn't take me long to track down a copy of the full lyrics. The next chapter is already in the works, but I can't say for certin when it'll be done! I'm porbally not going to get much work done next week since it's my birthday! I almost forgot! I'm cooking up a couple of oneshot prequels/side stories to B.L.A.S.T.! I got the ideas for them back when I was writing chapter 9. One is about Lillian learning of her powers and joining the council. The other is about Will's breakup with Matt and Irma's reaction! Don't expect them anytime soon however, as they're still in the planning stages at this point, but I will get them written and posted at some point! (Sorry for the long arthor notes, I seem to be in a chatty mood!)**

**Preview time! Next chapter: A member of the team is kidnapped and the girls are given an ultimatium, surrender or the captive dies! Who is captured and what do the girls do? Find out in chapter fifteen! (Oh man, I need to tone it down with these previews! I'm starting to go a little overboard!)**


	15. Chapter 15 A Friend in Need

**Hello and welcome back to B.L.A.S.T.! I know it's been a VERY long time since I last updated and I'm really sorry about that. Back in March I got distracted with writing a Card Captor Sakura fic for a fanfic contest at Sakuracon, a very awesome anime con in Seattle. I actually tied for first place with it two, though that's not saying much seeing as there was only like three entries, but still I was excited about it. (I'll actually be posting that here in a day or two, it's called 'Walk Away' so if you like CCS take a look and tell me what you think.) I've also been dealing with a lot of stuff the past couple of months and I've seriously been thinking about changing jobs.**

**But enough of that, I would like to welcome some new reviwers. WITCHGRL12, Midnight librarian, BlackRoseFire Yellow14 and pottere1. Thanks for reading! I hope you keep coming back for more! Also, I just realized it's been a little over a year since I started this whole thing! I was surprised it's really been that long already! Once agian I ask for your reviews so I know how I'm doing. And now on with the show! **

Chapter 15: A Friend in Need

"What do you have to say for yourself Kisarc?" Logrim asked sternly. He was leaning forward in the throne glaring at the Shoran leader. His chin rested upon his interlaced fingers and a displeased frown graced his face. Kisarc just stared back silently, his face twitching in irritation. "What's wrong Kisarc? Don't tell me you've finally run out of excuses?" The warlord's voice dripped with venom.

"I have never made excuses." Kisarc said with a growl.

"Oh really? Well, if you say so. I've no interest in debating the matter. What I am interested in is you and your men's inability to eliminate the Guardians. Time and time again they have handed you defeat. It seems I was wrong to entrust such an important task to you."

"Every time their victory has been a narrow one at best." Kisarc said.

"Silence! I will hear none of it! Do not attempt to fool me! I know more then you think I do! Your men failed to kill them before they gained their powers! They failed in a second attempt on their world! They failed when the Guardians stumbled into them in the middle of the woods! And most disappointing was the failure at the old fort! The Guardians and royal siblings were right in front of you Kisarc! And they slipped through your fingers! Not to mention that they got away with the prisoners!" Logrim's voice grew more fierce as he continued to berate Kisarc, which only served to infuriate the lizard man.

"Luck! Nothing more! I have seen them in combat! They have no real combat skills! Their luck can't hold out forever!" Kisarc shot back. However in the back of his mind he had to admit there was a grudging respect for his adversaries.

"Enough! I don't want to hear it! I hired Iron Saber because I was under the impression that your band was the strongest! The elite of the elite! The best the Shoran had to offer! I see now that reputation is vastly overrated! I should dismiss you right now!" Logrim paused in his rant when Kisarc began to chuckle which quickly grew into a amused laugh.

"Go right ahead!" The Shoran leader cackled merrily. "See how long you're able to hold Eldrin without me and my men! Do you honestly think that those unskilled wretches you call your soldiers can keep control of this world!? The second the Guardians and the people realize we're gone they'll descend on you faster then a scale raven catching it's dinner!"

"I don't find this amusing Kisarc! But when you're right, you're right." Logrim sat back in the throne and arched his fingers in front of his face while he gathered his thoughts. Kisarc was pleased that he had managed to get his employer to back down. He knew it was a temporary victory, but he would take it.

"Do not think this is over Kisarc. The fact remains you and your men have failed to eliminate the Guardians. Obviously taking them head on isn't working. We must force their hand. Make them come to us. And I think I know how." Logrim made a gesture towards the shadows behind him. Kisarc grimaced at the figure that emerged. "I believe you know Gar."

"Indeed I do." Kisarc watched the newcomer warily. Gar was mostly an unknown, and Kisarc didn't like unknowns. Gar was humanoid, but beyond that you couldn't tell much. He wore black, slightly loose fitting clothes over his body and a grey hooded cloak over his shoulders. His head was wrapped in black cloth, hiding his features. All that was visible was a pair of red insect like eyes. The only other part of his body you could see was his hands which were a pale gray, his fingers tipped with wicked looking two inch black claws. The only visible weapon he carried was a dagger with a curved blade. Gar was another of Logrim's lieutenants, and served his master as an assassin. Ever since the invasion Kisarc had been keeping an eye on the strange creature, but so far he had been keeping a low profile. The lizard man made a mental note to warn his men. He didn't put it past Logrim to use Gar to take out a few of his people as an example.

"What is your bidding my master?" Gar said as he bowed. His voice had a strange hiss to it, like sand flowing through an hourglass.

"I have a mission for you Gar, one suited to your talents. Here is what I want you to do."

"Morning Irma." Becky said with a yawn as she walked into the kitchen.

"Morning." Irma replied. Ever since her and Will had become a couple a month ago Irma had become a regular fixture in the apartment. She wasn't there all the time, but it sure seemed like it. Becky wondered why she just didn't move in with them. Already there were pictures of Irma and Will together among the family photos. "How come you're up so late?"

"I stayed up last night talking to Lisa on the phone." Becky said as she poured herself a bowl of cereal.

"Oh, I see. Talking dirty to your girlfriend. Don't worry, I won't say anything to your mom." The brown haired woman said with a smirk. "So be honest, who has their mind in the gutter more? You or Lisa?"

"Irma!" Becky cried out in an exasperated voice. Irma started cracking up. There were times Becky really regretted getting Irma and Will together. "Where's mom?" She asked once Irma had calmed down.

"She ran to the store for a couple of things. She should be back soon." Becky nodded and sat down at the table to eat her breakfast. About half-way through the bowl Will returned home.

"Sorry I took so long. I ran into Taranee at the store." She said as she set a couple of plastic bags on the counter.

"Oh yeah? What did she have to say?" Irma asked.

"I think we're going to have to have a talk with Cornelia." Seeing the confused look on Becky's and Irma's faces Will elaborated. "Taranee told me that Cornelia is still insisting on being part of the action."

"But that's crazy! She's what, five months pregnant now? She should be backing off!" Irma blurted out.

"I know, but you know how stubborn she can get." Will said with a shake of her head. "Caleb has been begging her to step back for the sake of the baby, but apparently she's not listening."

"Just great. Sometimes I just don't understand how her mind works." Irma said in an annoyed tone. "We need to set her strait, now."

"Exactly what I was thinking. According to Taranee she should be home form a appointment with her doctor in an hour or two. We'll meet up with T and Hay Lin at her place and talk some sense into her."

"I'll go to. The more of us there, the better." Becky said before gulping down the last of her breakfast. The young leader of the Guardians then quickly went to get dressed.

Cornelia walked down the street back towards the house she shared with her husband Caleb. The doctor's office wasn't far from their home and she hadn't felt like driving. She wished Taranee could of seen her, but her friend hadn't been available. Cornelia wasn't looking forward to getting home. She didn't want to get into another argument with Caleb. It was her choice as to when she finally stepped away from the battle they were involved in. She absently rubbed her growing belly and smiled. She was looking forward to being a mom and the news she received at the doctor's excited her even more. As mad as she was with her spouse she couldn't wait to share the news with him. As she neared an ally a sense of foreboding descended on her. She slowed down and stared into the ally trying to see what had set off her internal alarms. She was instantly wary, having learned a long time ago to trust her instincts. What ever it was made her wish she had been able to bring her sword along. She knew it probably wasn't smart of her, but she walked a short ways into the ally, telling herself that she would check things out quickly and then she'd leave. She had a sense of being watched, but she couldn't see anyone. She finally shrugged and turned around.

"Must be my imagination." She muttered to herself.

"That is what you think." A raspy voice said from behind her. Cornelia whirled back around in fright. All she had time to register was Gar's bug like eyes before he backhanded her into unconsciousness.

"Thanks for coming." Caleb said as he closed the door behind his guests. "I don't know how to get through to her. I understand her sense of duty, but she's got other considerations. I've been trying to tell her that no one will think any less of her for getting out of the fight, especially for the sake of the baby, but that just made her mad. Maybe you guys can talk some sense into her."

"That's corny for ya. Stubborn beyond belief." Irma said.

"Don't worry Caleb. We'll make her understand." Taranee said reassuringly.

"I hope so. I don't know what else to do." While they waited they discussed various approaches to take with Cornelia.

"Shouldn't she of been back by now?" Hay Lin asked after awhile. The others were growing concerned as well.

"She's not answering her cell phone." Irma said gravely.

"She left the doctor's office over half an hour ago." Taranee said worriedly as she hung up her phone.

"Okay, something is not right. She said she'd be home right after the appointment." Caleb said nervously. "She may be mad, but she wouldn't stay out just to spite me." Becky was about to speak when a nearby window exploded, causing everyone to dive for cover.

"What the!? Are we under attack!?" Irma cried out. Becky crawled over to the window and carefully peered out it.

"I don't see anyone." She said. She turned around and gasped when she saw a dagger buried in the wall. "Hey! What's that!?" Everyone gathered around the knife which had a sheet of parchment tied around the handle with a piece of twine. Caleb pulled the note of the knife, his face full of dread. He clenched his jaw in anger as he read the note.

"C, Caleb? What is it?" Hay Lin asked nervously. Caleb responded by holding out the note which Becky took from him. She gasped in fright when she read the contents.

_Greetings Guardians, for some time you and your comrades have been interfering in my business on Eldrin. Matters that are none of your concern, and I have grown weary of your meddling. I have one of your companions in my care. She is unharmed. If she is to remain that way is up to you. What I ask is not unreasonable. If you come to me and surrender yourselves I will release the young lady. I promise that you will not be harmed. You will only be detained, you have my word on this. If you fail to arrive at the capital within twenty-four of your Earth hours I will be forced to take it out on my current 'guest'. I trust I will be seeing you soon._

_Lord Logrim._

"They have Cornelia." Becky croaked out when she finished reading.

"No!" Will cried out as she snatched the note from Becky's hands. Her jaw dropped as she read it. "He can't be serious! Does he really think we're that naïve?" One by one everyone else read the ransom note.

"What do we do!? The girls can't give themselves up, but if they don't he'll hurt Cornelia and the baby!" Hay Lin cried out.

"We need a plan, and fast. Let's get everyone together at Kandrakar. Maybe Chase can give us some information about the castle that'll let us rescue Cornelia without giving in to Logrim's demands." Becky said as she pulled out her cell phone to call the other Guardians. Half an hour later everyone was gathered in the council chamber. Looks of horror and disgust filled people's faces as Becky explained the situation.

"I knew Logrim liked to play dirty, but this!" Chase said angrily. "Holding a pregnant woman hostage! I, I just can't believe it!"

"The question is what do we do now?" Lisa said. "We can't surrender to him, but how do we get Cornelia back?"

"That's what I'm hoping you can help us with Chase. You told us you escaped the castle through a secret tunnel. Can we use it to get back inside?" Becky said. Chase took a deep breath and thought about it for a minute.

"I wouldn't use that tunnel again. It goes to the throne room, remember? Logrim has most likely set himself up there, plus he may have found the entrance." Chase explained.

"That tunnel? There's more then one?" Trista asked.

"Yes, there are all kinds of ancient passages and tunnels hidden throughout the castle." A look of sudden realization dawned upon the young man's face. "And very few people know about them! I'm sorry, I should of thought about that sooner!"

"It's alright. So know we know how we're going to get in. Next question, how do we find Cornelia without them knowing we're there?" Becky said.

"How about a diversion? We could mount an attack, draw the soldiers out of the castle like we did at the fort." Sarah suggested.

"It's an idea, but I don't think it'll work this time. The castle is bound to be much more heavily guarded, we don't have the manpower either, I doubt we could pull enough of them out." Irma said.

"Plus, doing that would probably just piss Logrim off and make him hurt Cornelia." Becky said. Caleb flinched at her words. "We need to keep them distracted while we search, but I'm not sure how to do that."

"We need to make Logrim think you're there in front of him, but I just don't know…" Will started to say, but she stopped suddenly when she got an idea. She looked at Becky who had come to the same conclusion.

"Astral drops!" They both shouted out at the same time.

"Say what?" Trista said in a confused tone.

"It's perfect! We create a set of astral drops and have them go in our place! They'll keep Logrim and his men busy while we look for Cornelia!" Becky said.

"Are you sure? I mean, the astral drops are pretty stupid. I'm not sure they'll be convinced it's really us." Sarah said. "They're bound to figure out it we've tricked them."

"I'm sure they will, but at least we'll have bought ourselves some time. My hope is that we'll find Cornelia, free her and get back out before they catch on." Some worried glances passed between the others, causing Becky to feel a little self-conscious. "If anyone one has a better idea I'm more then willing to listen." She said sheepishly.

"Oh! Becky, no, we're not doubting you or your plan! We're just worried, that's all!" Lisa said quickly. "It's just that we've got such a short amount of time to come up with a rescue plan and only one chance to pull it off."

"We're all just really scared for Cornelia." Trista said.

"I know, and I wish we had more time as well, but we don't. We can buy some time by going in slightly ahead of the astral drops and having them drag their feet a little. The more time we have the better." Becky said sheepishly.

"We better get going then." Caleb said a little gruffly. Becky then pulled out the Heart and held it above her head.

"Guardians unite!" Once they were transformed the girls called forth their astral drops. Chase described the area they were going and Becky opened the fold. In that short amount of time the astral drops had become distracted and had wandered all over the council chamber. The girls groaned and dragged them through the fold. Chase held the top of Nella's head, trying to keep his little sister from going with them, but the young princess managed to slip past him and jump through. Chase just sighed and followed her in.

The spot Chase had chosen was atop a large hill that overlooked a huge walled city nestled in a wide valley with a river flowing just outside the walls. The city was laid out in a circle with a series of eight main roads that led from the main gates and converged in the center of the city where a majestic castle rose above the rest of the buildings surrounding it.

"Home…" Kaz said with a huge amount of sadness in his voice. Nella adverted her gaze, finding it hard to look at the occupied city.

"Behold, Del Taldon, capital of Eldrin. I hate seeing it like this. I always loved coming here and looking at the city. It was such a majestic view, but look at what Logrim's attack has done to it." Chase said grimly. Even from the distance they were at the damage to the walls was more then evident. Burned out husks of several buildings were spread throughout the town.

"And look what's flying from the castle's towers! That's not Eldrin's flag, it's Logrim's banner!" Kaz spat out in disgust. A ragged blood red flag with a black fist holding a sword pointed up waved menacingly in the wind. Becky told the astral drops what to do and sent them on their way.

"Okay, where's the entrance?" She asked Chase. The prince pointed towards a large boulder leaning against a mound of dirt.

"It's behind that rock, it'll take a few of us to move it, it's very heavy." He said.

"Actually, it won't" Sarah said. With a wave of her hand the stone slid to one side, uncovering the entrance to the secret passage. Just inside the opening was a pile of torches. Chase passed a few out, which Trista ignited. The light provided by the torches was feeble and did little to dispel the darkness of the tunnel. A sense of dread fell over the group as they descended into the hillside. The closeness of the tunnel walls, the damp chill in the air, the surrounding darkness all made for a very oppressive atmosphere. It was like they were willingly walking into the mouth of some great giant.

"I was never claustrophobic before, but now…" Sarah muttered to herself.

"So, this will take us to the throne room?" Becky asked Chase in an attempt to get everyone's mind off of where they were.

"No, that's a different tunnel. Like I said, I wouldn't use that one again, Logrim may of discovered it by now." Chase answered.

"He probably found out about it from Celia." Nella spat out.

"Nella, enough." Kaz said to his sister. Becky noticed the hurt look on Chase's face and for the first time she wondered if there was more to the relationship between Chase and the seer.

"So where does this tunnel go to then?" Will asked.

"A series of secret passages in the northern wing. From there we can observe things and move about unseen through much of the castle." Chase explained.

"Do you have any idea where they might be holding her?" Caleb asked.

"There are a few rooms that I can think of that would do the trick in a pinch."

"What about the dungeon? Wouldn't they just put her there?" Amy asked. She gave Caleb an apologetic smile when she saw him cringe at the thought of his pregnant wife locked up in a dirty dungeon cell.

"Not likely. The castle's dungeon was closed off over sixty years ago. Before that it hadn't been used in twice that long. The cells were in such a state of disrepair that they were no longer usable. I can't say for certain that Logrim hasn't opened it back up, he probably has in fact. But in order to use it to hold prisoners he would have to spend a lot of time fixing things up. No, my guess is he's using one of the rooms in the north wing. There are a few that have only one entrance and no windows." Chase explained

"And if she isn't in any of those rooms?" Becky asked.

"Then they probably have her in one of the towers. If that's the case it'll make things a lot harder. As far as we know there are no secret passages in the towers." Kaz said.

"We're here." Chase said from the front of the line. The tunnel had dead ended at ancient wooden door with a metal ring handle that had rusted away to almost nothing. It disengaged into dust when Chase tried pulling on it.

"I got it." Sarah said. She concentrated for a second and the wood swung away from the opening.

"How long have these tunnels existed?" Lisa asked.

"They were built at the same time the castle was about four hundred years ago." Kaz Said.

"Okay, from this point on we need to be as quiet as possible. We don't want to give ourselves away." Said Chase. "Hopefully we will find Cornelia and be gone before they figure out we sent astral drops instead of you five."

"Wonder how they're doing." Sarah asked on one in particular.

"Probably making us look like idiots." Trista said.

Kisarc stood in the throne room, doing nothing. He hated doing nothing. The Shoran leader never liked playing these waiting games. Taking hostages was always so tedious. Personally he didn't believe the Guardians would be stupid enough to accept his employer's demands. More then likely they had concocted a rescue plan by now, the question was what that plan entailed. They had to know that a direct assault on the castle would be useless. The majority of their forces were at the capital. So how did they plan to save the pregnant woman? Kisarc actually felt slightly disturbed that they had taken someone like her prisoner. Even scarier was that part of him wished that this plan would fail and the Guardians would actually manage to get her away from Logrim. Before he could think things through further one of Logrim's men burst into the throne room.

"My Lord Logrim! The Guardian's have arrived!" The solider blurted out as he stumbled into the room.

"Excellent, I knew this plan would work. Good doers like them are so predictable. Pelth, do you have some way of sealing their powers?" Logrim asked his wizard.

"Yes, my Lord. In anticipation of this I've prepared a set of bracelets that will suppress their magic, and only myself will be able to remove them. Also, I have set up a room with an anti-magic glyph to hold them in." Pelth said gleefully.

"Very good. Though I doubt we will need any of that for very long. Once we find out how much they know of my goals I plan to have them executed." Logrim said nonchalantly. Kisarc was silently stunned, this was the first he was hearing of this. He doubted the Guardians knew any more about what his employer was up to then he did. "Have them brought here immediately." Logrim said to the solider.

"At once my Lord!" The man said before leaving.

"You must be feeling rather foolish right about now Kisarc." Pelth said in an amused tone. "Despite your best efforts you and your men were unable to bring down those girls. And now they are walking right into our clutches."

"Quiet old man, this isn't over yet." Kisarc snarled at the wizard in disgust. "You would be wise not to underestimate them." Pelth laughed insanely. Kisarc just shook his head. He turned his attention to Celia. Through all of this she had remained silent, standing in a dark corner behind the throne. She had spoken to Logrim earlier about a vision she had. While he hadn't be privy to what she had said, he had gotten the distinct impression that she had tried to warn him that his plan would fail. Whatever she said displeased Logrim, causing him to backhand her. Even standing in the shadows Kisarc could see the large bruise on the fortune tellers cheek.

The door to the throne room swung open, and the Guardians walked in, followed by a large contingent of Logrim's men who were armed with spears. To say Kisarc was stunned would of been an understatement, in truth he was floored. All five of the girls were there, he had been sure they would of gotten into the castle and raised hell. But no, they had gone along with Logrim's demands and actually surrendered. He started trying to figure out how he would outlive the shame when he noticed the Guardians were acting rather… odd. Instead of acting frightened or defiant like he would expect they looked amused.

"Wow! This is the neatest room yet!" Amy's copy said excitedly.

"Yeah! It's all like, scary haunted house and stuff!" Sarah's astral drop said merrily.

"I knew we would see all kinds of interesting things in here!" Trista's clone called out. Kisarc was perplexed. Had their minds snapped? That didn't seem likely, but it was the only thing that explained their behavior. The Lisa astral drop broke away from the group to look at a tapestry hanging from the wall.

"Oh, pretty." She said. Logrim cocked his head to one side in confusion and Pelth involuntarily raised one of his eyebrows.

"Uh, greetings Guardians." Logrim said slowly.

"Oh! That must be that Logrim guy!" Becky's clone said. She pulled a piece of paper from out of her shirt that Will had given her. On it was a few phrases that Will had come up with to hopefully buy them a little more time. "Let's see here… We're here, give us Cornelia like you promised." Becky's astral drop looked up from the paper and smiled.

"Let me try one!" Trista's drop said snatching the paper away. She scanned the paper for a minute before choosing a line. "Do you think we'll give up with a fight?" The guards instantly responded by lowering their spears and pointing them at the astral drops.

"Look at that! They believed you were serious!" The Sarah drop said with a laugh. The guards were bewildered beyond belief.

"Hey! Let my try one of those!" Amy's copy cried out. It tried to snatch the paper away from the Trista drop and the two of them ended up wrestling on the ground. The Becky drop pointed and started laughing at the sight.

"Enough of this spectacle, Pelth, put the bracelets on them." Logrim said in annoyance. Pelth darted forward and grabbed the Sarah astral drop by the arm. He slapped the bracelet on, when he did the astral drop's arm flashed and disappeared. The bracelet clattered to the ground and her arm came back after a few seconds.

"Neat! Do it again!" Sarah's copy said.

"What trickery is this!?" Logrim shouted out angrily. Kisarc started laughing hysterically. "What's so funny!?"

"Don't you see!? They played you for a sap! They sent magical clones in their stead to distract you! They're probably already in the castle looking for your hostage!" The Shoran leader laughed heartily at how frustrated Logrim was.

"He's right! These are nothing but astral drops!" Pelth cried out, causing the magical clones to vanish in a flash of light.

"Go! Secure the prisoner! I will be there in a moment to finish her off! The Guardians will pay for their treachery!" Logrim shouted out. The rage in his voice made many in the room tremble in fright. The guards turned and poured out of the throne room, eager to get away before their master decided to take his frustrations out on them. Logrim turned his attention to Celia who was now cowering in her corner, her eyes were flooded with fear.

"My lord, please. I, I tried to warn you." She stammered out.

"Yes, you did." Logrim grabbed Celia by the arm and violently yanked her out of the corner. He punched her across the face. Blood flowed from a trio of cuts caused by Logrim's gauntlet. "Next time maybe you should make me listen."He shoved her back into the corner and she slid to the floor, dazed from the blow she had just received. With that Logrim stormed out of the throne room followed by Pelth and Kisarc.

"What have I done?" She asked herself.

The secret passages of the castle didn't stink of rot and were more spacious then the tunnel they had used to get inside, which was a real plus in Becky's mind. She was quite impressed at the complexity of the passage's design. Like Chase had promised they were able to observe the halls of the castle from hidden eyeholes placed in strategic locations. They had been moving about for nearly half an hour, but so far hadn't seen or heard anything that would indicate where Cornelia was being held.

"This is getting us nowhere." Caleb grumbled under his breath.

"There are still a few more rooms to check. She has to be in one of them." Kaz said reassuringly. Chase shushed the both of them before looking through another spy hole. After a moment's inspection he turned back to address the group.

"I think we've found her." He said. "This is one of the rooms I was talking about. It's a guest bedroom, but because of this floor's layout it doesn't have a window."

"How do you know this is where Cornelia is?" Hay Lin asked.

"Because it's the only room we've seen so far that has guards at the door." Becky said from the peephole. "This must be where they have her, there wouldn't of bothered posting guards otherwise. Is there a way to get inside that room without being seen?"

"No, the passages don't connect to that room." Chase said. "There is a hidden door we can use to get into the hall though."

"I don't know, if we're spotted it'll make things a lot harder. And if they have guards inside the room they could hurt Cornelia before we get to her. Are you sure there isn't another way in?" Will asked.

"Ask Nella, she knows these tunnels better then anyone. Nella…" Chase trailed off when he looked around and saw that his sister was missing from the group. "She's gone!"

"She must of wandered off while we were talking." Taranee reasoned out. "Where would she of gone though, and why?"

"I think I know where she went." Kaz said with a shake of his head. Chase slapped his forehead, feeling a mix of anger and pity for his little sister as he came to the same conclusion that his brother had.

"Uh, mind filling us in?" Amy muttered.

"She went to find a friend of hers. There's no time to explain further." Kaz said. "I'll go get her while the rest of you get Cornelia. Don't wait for us to get back if you have to make a run for it. We'll meet back at the hillside entrance if it comes to that."

"Maybe we should both go." Chase suggested. Kaz shook his head no in response.

"I think it'd be better if it's just me. She's not as responsive to you right now. I'll have an easier time if you're not there." Chase nodded at his brother's logic.

"Be careful." Chase said.

"The same to all of you as well." Though he was speaking to the entire group his gaze was upon Trista, causing the Fire Guardian to blush. Without any further discussion he ran down the hall in search of his sister.

Nella pounded her fist into the wall repeatedly. When she had learned they were coming back to the castle she knew she had to come along. She waited for her chance to slip away and took it as soon as it presented itself. Getting to her destination was the easy part. She had been so hopeful, but those hopes had been dashed.

"She's not here, is she?" Nella spun around to face her brother. She whipped the tears from her eyes, not wanting Kaz to see her cry.

"No, she's not. I think I missed her by mere minutes. Her bed is still warm." The young princess said.

"You know that doesn't mean anything. It could of just easily been one of Logrim's men in here." Kaz said gently.

"You're wrong! It was her! I know it! We both know that Logrim kept the castle servants alive! She has to be here! We just have to look! Please Kaz! Help me find her!" Nella begged her brother. Kaz didn't know how to handle the situation. He understood what Nella's friend meant to her, but he couldn't put the others at risk for one girl. He was about to tell Nella no, but he looked into her pleading eyes and knew he couldn't refuse her.

"Alright Nella, we'll look, but just around the general area of her room. If don't find her soon we have to get back to the others. Do you understand me? When I say it's time to go back, you will listen, no arguments." Kaz gave the most stern look he could.

"I promise Kaz!" Without waiting for her brother Nella darted into the hallway outside her friend's room.

"Chase is going to kill me." Kaz muttered to himself before following Nella into the hall.

"First thing, we need to get rid of those guards at the door without alerting the rest of the castle." Becky said to the others after Kaz was gone.

"Leave that to me." Lisa said before she turned invisible. She slipped out the hidden door and snuck up on the two guards watching the door. She hit both of them with a powerful air blast, throwing them into a wall, knocking them out without them making a sound. Everyone else quickly came out of the hidden passage.

"We can't leave them out here." Trista said.

"There's a closet over there we can stash them in." Chase said as he picked up one of the unconscious soldiers. Caleb picked up the other one and the two men deposited the guards in the closet. Chase quickly rummaged through their pockets and came up with the keys to the room.

"Okay, be ready for more guards inside." Becky said as Chase unlocked the door. They burst inside, ready to take down anyone inside. However there was no one in site except for Cornelia. The former Earth Guardian was tied to a chair in the center of the room with a gag in her mouth. Other then a nasty bruise on her forehead she appeared to be unhurt. Her eyes grew wide when she saw everyone standing there.

"Cornelia! Thank god!" Caleb shouted out as he rushed to his wife's side. Cornelia started struggling against her bonds and tried to talk through the gag in her mouth. Sensing something was up Trista quickly probed Cornelia's mind with her powers. She looked up at the ceiling and cried out a warning.

"Caleb above you!" The former rebel leader jumped backwards as Gar dropped from above, burying his dagger into the floor where Caleb had been seconds before. The assassin stood up and looked the group over.

"I knew if I waited here I would have my chance at you. I am called Gar. My lord Logrim has ordered your deaths." He hissed out.

"Oh great, just what we need. Another freak with a chip on his shoulder!" Trista said sarcastically. Gar responded by leaping into the center of the group. His charge knocked Hay Lin and Taranee off their feet. Gar kicked Irma in the stomach, knocking her down as well. Will swung one of her knives at him, but he parried the blow with his own weapon and landed a punch to her face. As she stumbled backwards Caleb moved forward. The two exchanged strikes of their weapons. The sound of metal hitting metal rang throughout the small room. Trista raised her hand and took aim, hoping to hit Gar with a fireball.

"Don't! You're more likely to hurt Caleb!" Becky shouted out.

"Damn it! What are we supposed to do then!?" Trista cried out in frustration. Becky looked around the room for some sort of advantage. She spied a potted plant in on corner and a impromptu plan formed in her mind. She quickly relayed her plan to Lisa and Sarah. While she did Chase, who had been guarding the door, heard shouting from down the hall.

"We need to hurry this up! We've been found out!" Chase cried out. The girls quickly put Becky's plan into motion. Caleb and Gar were still fighting furiously near the corner with the potted plant. Becky and Lisa got behind the two combatants.

"Caleb get down!" Becky shouted. Caleb immediately jumped to one side, catching Gar off guard. Now that she had a clear shot Becky zapped him with a lighting bolt, stunning him. Lisa then hit him with an air blast, pushing him backwards. Sarah then used her powers on the potted plant, making it grow much bigger then it normally would. It sprouted several thick vines that wrapped around and trapped the strange assassin. Gar tried to struggle free, but to no avail. Caleb ran to Cornelia's side and pulled the gag from her mouth.

"I am ever glad to see you guys!" She said happily once the filthy rag was removed from her mouth.

"The same to you! We were worried sick!" Will said.

"Are you hurt!?" Caleb asked as he worked to undo the ropes that tied Cornelia to the chair.

"I'm alright. The only hit I took was when that joker over there jumped me." Once Cornelia was free Caleb stormed over to Gar and pulled the hood that covered his face free. Everyone gasped at their attacker's face. It wasn't only his eyes that were bug like. His entire head was shaped like an insect. His mouth was a dripping maw with a pair of mandibles. Above his eyes was a set of segmented antennae that swept backwards over the top of his bald skull.

"Now there is a face that only a mother could love." Irma muttered out.

"You're the one who grabbed my wife." Caleb stated.

"Yes. What of it?" Gar said calmly. Caleb hit him with as much force as possible in the stomach.

"Do it again and I won't be as nice."

"I hate to break this up, but we need to go!" Will said from the doorway. The sound of men yelling was growing louder by the second.

"What about Kaz and Nella!? They aren't back yet!" Sarah said worriedly.

"We'll go back to the passages and wait for them there!" Becky ordered.

"Wait, there they are!" Chase shouted in relief. Kaz and Nella ran into the room out of breath. Their search for Nella's friend had been cut short when the alarm had been raised.

"Barricade the door and I'll open a fold!" They shut the door, locked it, and shoved a couple of pieces of furniture in front of it. Becky hurriedly swiped the Heart through the air and opened a fold. Just as she did the door exploded inward, blown open by Pelth's magic. The gang was frozen in place as an imposing figure clad in black armor emerged from the smoke.

"Logrim!" Chase shouted in anger.

"We finally meet face to face. To bad it will be the last time." Logrim drew his broadsword and charged strait at Cornelia. "Die wench!" He shouted with the intent of crushing Cornelia's skull with his blade. Becky shoved her out of the way at the last second. The leader of the guardians cried out in pain as the tip of the sword ripped into the flesh of her shoulder. Blood flowed freely from the wound down her arm.

"Becky!" Lisa cried out. The Air Guardian buffeted Logrim with air blasts, trying to knock him back. Logrim resisted however, he struggled to push his way through the wind, eager to kill the Guardians. Trista and Amy pelted the evil warlord with their powers as well, but their attacks didn't even seem to faze him. Sarah quickly morphed the stones that made up the room into a wall, cutting them off from the enemy. They could hear Logrim roaring in frustration from the other side.

"Everyone lets go!" Will shouted as she and Lisa helped Becky through the fold. The team quickly retreated, except for Nella who hesitated for a moment. She had a look of guilt on her face as she stood there.

"I'm sorry Marna, I tried." She said before she made her escape. Back on Kandrakar everyone was catching their breath while the Oracle healed Becky's wound. Lisa hovered nearby, concerned for her girlfriend's wellbeing. Caleb embraced his wife, relived that she was unharmed and out of Logrim's clutches. Not much scared him, but the though of losing the woman he loved and their unborn child had filled him with a sense of dread he didn't know he was capable of feeling.

"All done." The Oracle said as he finished healing Becky. Lisa hugged her once the Oracle moved out of the way to check on Cornelia.

"Thank you Becky." Caleb said with as much gratitude as possible. "If wasn't for you, Cornelia and the baby…"

"No need for thanks Caleb. I'd do it again in a second."

"You have my thanks too." Cornelia said. "Not only for my life, but my daughter's as well." Everyone froze and looked at Cornelia.

"Daughter?" Caleb said. Cornelia nodded her head excitedly.

"I found out today. We're having a girl." Caleb cheered and spun his wife around. "I also realized you were right. I shouldn't be fighting right now. I'll back out until after the baby is born."

"What's that? Cornelia is actually using her brain for once." Irma joked.

"Stuff it Lair!" Cornelia roared.

"Woah, hormones." Irma muttered. Becky noticed Nella standing to one side staring at nothing, and went to check on the young girl.

"I take it you didn't find your friend?" It was more of a statement then a question. Nella just shook her head no. "I'm sorry Nella, if I had known…"

"You wouldn't of done a damn thing." Nella said before she stormed off, leaving Becky speechless.

The next day Becky, Will and Irma were all once again at the breakfast table when there was a knock at the apartment door. Will went to answer it while Becky and Irma continued to eat. Becky's mind was on Nella, she was worried about the princess, but was unsure how to help her. Those thoughts were pushed to the side for the moment when Will returned to the kitchen with Caleb and Cornelia in tow.

"Oh hey, what are you guys doing here?" Becky asked.

"We just wanted to say thank you again for risking yourself to save Cornelia yesterday." Caleb said.

"I told you, there's no need to thank me."

"Well, we think otherwise." Cornelia said. "In fact, we talked about it last night and we've decided on a name for the baby. We're going to call her Rebecca." Becky gasped, she knew that Rebecca was a version of her name. They were naming their daughter after her.

"I, I don't know what say. Thank you, I'm honored. I don't think I've done anything to deserve it, but thank you." Will congratulated her daughter who was slowly turning a very deep shade of crimson.

**And here is where we come to an end for this chapter. I know there wasn't much action this time around. This chapter was more about setting up for things to come. I'm going to do my best to not take as long with the next chapter, I really will! Preview time!**

**Next chapter: The gang decide it's time to try and learn exactly what Logrim is after. Also we'll get to meet Nella's friend Marna. Also, the royal siblings visit Earth for the first time. I could tell you more, but that would be a little to much info! Don't want to give everything away. :) See you next time!**


	16. Chapter 16 A Change of Pace

**Hello everyone and Merry Christmas to you! I know it's been a very long time since I've uploaded a chapter and I can only say I'm really sorry. I had various problems including my old computer dying suddenly on me and a very bad case of writer's block. But I want to assure everyone that this story is not dead! I also want to thank everyone who sent a review last chapter especialy a new reviwere, IamACritic. Keep'em coming guys! So then, on with the show.**

Chapter Sixteen: A Change of Pace

"So how do you think is going to go?" Becky asked Amy. The two of them were heading for the Silver Dragon to meet up with the rest of the girls.

"Hard to say. Hopefully the worst that happens is they'll just gawk like a bunch of tourists." Amy said with a shrug. "At least we'll be there to keep them out of any real trouble." They arrived at their destination and went to the basement where the friends were waiting.

"There you guys are." Trista said. "They're supposed to be here any minute."

"So, have we got the clothes?" Becky asked.

"Right here." Sarah said. A pile of folded clothes sat next to her. "I asked Cornelia for help and she picked out a set of outfits for them so they could fit in."

"So, any ideas on where to take them?" Lisa asked.

"I figured the mall for starters and go from there." Becky said. She was about to say more when a fold materialized in the center of the room. A moment later Chase, Kaz, and Nella stepped out. "Hey guys, welcome to Earth!"

"Thanks Becky, we appreciate you agreeing to letting us visit your world." Chase said.

"No problem, we've been looking forward to this ourselves." Lisa stated. Chase and Kaz looked excited, but Nella was her usual, grumpy self. She refused to look at anyone and concentrated on being interested in a pile of old boxes stacked in the corner. Becky bit her lip in worry. She and Chase had come up with the idea for this outing a few days after rescuing Cornelia. They both agreed it would be a good change of pace for the royal siblings.

"We got you guys some clothes so you'll blend in with everyone else. No offense, but your normal outfits would kind of stand out, and not in a good way." Trista said as she handed out the clothes.

"Thank you Trista." Kaz said as he took his bundle from the Fire Guardian. He looked into her eyes earnestly, causing Trista to blush and turn away in embarrassment. Amy snickered and elbowed Becky.

"Five bucks says the two them are lip locked by the end of the day." She said under her breath.

"I heard that Evans!" Trista growled. Amy just giggled. The girls took Nella up to Hay Lin's old bedroom to change while her brother's changed in the basement.

"I'm not sure about these clothes you gave me." The young princes said through the door.

"What's the problem? Don't they fit?" Becky asked.

"No, they fit fine…" The door opened and Nella stepped out. "The problem is you can see my legs." The girl's statement drew giggles from the others. Nella had a black tee-shirt with a pink heart on the front, white sneakers and a simple blue skirt that went half-way up her thighs. "What!? What are you laughing at!?"

"Take it easy Nella." Becky said in a soothing voice. "We're laughing at your comment. On Earth it's not uncommon for girls to wear skirts that show off their legs. Haven't you ever noticed that we sometimes wear skirts that are even shorter than yours?"

"Oh, yeah, right." Nella mumbled.

"I take it girls on Eldrin don't wear short skirts." Sarah said.

"Uh, no. The highest they get is maybe a few inches above our ankles."

"If you're not comfortable with it, I'm sure we can find you a pair of pants." Lisa suggested.

"No, I'll be fine. If this is standard Earth girl wear then I'll go with it."

"Well, it's not exactly standard, girls wear pants all the time. There's no need to wear it on our account."

"I said I'm fine!" Nella said rather sternly.

"Okay then, let's go see how the guys are doing." Trista said. They went back downstairs where Kaz and Chase were waiting for them. Both of them were wearing jeans and white sneakers. Chase had a white button up shirt while Kaz had a tight fitting black t-shirt.

"Hey, looking pretty sharp there guys!" Sarah said excitedly.

"Yeah…" Trista's eyes were glued to Kaz.

"Close your mouth Trista, you're getting drool on the floor." Trista turned a deep shade of crimson at Amy's comment. She glared at the redhead before storming back up the stairs. "Oops, maybe I better go talk to her and apologize."

"Ya think?" Sarah blurted out. Amy cringed at Sarah's harsh tone and went after Trista.

"Yeah, so anyways. We figured that we would take you around the city. Show you some of the common sights of our world." Becky said to change the subject.

"Sounds good, what about food? I was hoping to try some of the things I've heard you all talk about." Kaz said.

"No problem. There are all kinds of places to eat in Heatherfield. I think you'll especially like the food here at the Silver Dragon. Yan Lin is quite a cook. But we'll save that for later." Becky assured the young prince. The group headed upstairs and met up with Amy and Trista who seemed to of calmed down. She didn't say anything and did her best to avoid eye contact with Kaz. The second they stepped outside the three visitors were awe struck.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing! So many castles! And they're so huge!" Chase blurted out.

"What are those strange carriages everyone is riding in!? How do they move without using horses!?" Kaz said in shock. Nella was trying to look at ten things at once. The girls couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh no, they did not just say that!" Amy was doubled over laughing. "It's so cliché that it's hilarious!" Becky stopped laughing long enough to explain what the three royals were seeing.

"Those 'castles' are called skyscrapers. They're used as office buildings for companies, and the carriages are cars. They move using machines called engines." Becky said in between giggles.

"We're strangers to your world! There's no reason to laugh at us!" Nella said irritably.

"We don't mean anything by it, really we don't. You're reactions were just really funny!" Sarah said as she wiped a tear from her eye. Nella didn't seem to accept Sarah's explanation however, her frown grew even larger before she turned her back on everyone.

"Okay then, we're going to take a bus to the mall, which is sort of like an indoor marketplace. It's where teenagers like us hang out and spend time with their friends." Becky said quickly in an attempt to break the tension. Chase picked up on that fact and played along.

"Sounds interesting, lead away. I'm looking forward to riding in one these metal carriages." Chase's comment produced a fresh set of snickers from the girls. The bus ride to mall was uneventful for the most part. Amy had to stop Kaz from staring at a guy with spiked hair dyed orange and a face covered in piercings. Nella plugged her ears after the guy turned the volume of his boom box up, blaring punk rock in her face. When they arrived at the mall Becky was thankful to find it wasn't as crowed as it normally was on a Saturday.

"Wow, this is rather, what's the word you use, cool?" Kaz said awkwardly.

"Yeah, it is." Lisa said. "We come here all the time." The girls led the royals around the mall, showing them the various stores. Kaz found the found the sporting goods store quite fascinating, though the girls had to explain to him that the baseball bats weren't clubs and the football gear wasn't armor. Chase was more partial to the bookstore. Amy took the opportunity to introduce their three guests to anime when they got to the video store. To her delight Chase and Kaz showed some interest. The Water Guardian promised to screen some of her videos for them later and let them read some of her manga.

"Oh god, she's going to turn them into nerds." Trista moaned. Amy gave her an annoyed look and mumbled something about nothing wrong with being a nerd. They went and browsed one of the clothes stores. Nella did her best to appear uninterested in a blue dress on one of the racks. When she thought no one was looking she took it down and held it up in front of a mirror to see how she would look in it. Becky caught her in the act, causing the young princess to jump and blush. Becky just smiled, took the dress to the register and paid for it.

"I didn't ask you to buy that you know." Nella grumbled as Becky handed her a bag with the dress inside.

"I thought it would look good on you is all." Chase ended up getting a new coat while Kaz settled on couple of shirts and a pair of fingerless gloves. The two of them also got a pair of brown leather boots each. After the clothing store they went to the arcade. All three of the siblings took to the games quite readily. They cheered Becky on as she demonstrated how to play Dance Master. When they were done Becky decided it was time for a lunch break and got a large pizza for the group.

"We appreciate your generosity Becky." Chase said between mouthfuls of pepperoni and cheese.

"Thank my mom, she provided the funds. She said to show guys a good time." As they were leaving the mall they ran into the first real snag of the day, namely Stacey. As usual, her partner in crime Connie was with her. Jenny trailed behind the pair with her head bowed.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite group of losers!" Connie chuckled at Stacey's comment while Jenny got a nervous look on her face. Chase raised an eyebrow in confusion. Kaz just looked around in confusion.

"Get lost Stacey, we don't feel like putting up with your nonsense today." Becky said in annoyance.

"We have every right to be here Vandom." Stacey shot back.

"You tell them Stacey! Let them take a hike!" Connie cheered on her cohort. She eyed Kaz and slide up to him. "But the hunks can stay. What do you say cutie? Want to ditch these slobs and spend some quality time with a hottie like me?" Trista started growing red in the face with anger.

"Excuse me?" Kaz exclaimed in disbelief. "Do I know you!?"

"Back away from my brother you harlot!" Nella cried out in disgust. "He's too good for your dirty hands!"

"What did you just say to me you little brat!?" Connie shrieked. Jenny did her best to stifle a laugh in the background. "You better back away right now little girl, before I slap you silly!" Nella just stared the angry cheerleader down.

"And I'll help! Believe me when I say you don't want to mess with us!" Stacey had joined Connie, both of them towering over the young princess, but Nella refused to back down.

"Uh, Stacey? Connie? She's just a kid." Jenny said meekly.

"Stuff it bookworm! No one asked your opinion!" Connie cried out in a high pitched voice. Amy slapped her hands over ears to try and drown out the sound. Jenny got a frightened look on her face and stumbled backwards. Sarah got angry then and she looked like she was about to get involved. Becky saw that the situation was quickly getting out of hand.

"Let's go guys, we have better things to do then put up with these two." Becky turned and started to lead everyone away. Connie wasn't finished however, she grabbed Kaz and tried to pull him closer.

"Come on cutie, you don't want to go with them."

"Get your hands off of him!" Trista shouted out.

"What's the matter Harding? Jealous? I don't see why, it's not like you have a chance with him. Who'd want a rebel skater punk like you?" Stacey's words had a surprising effect on Trista, the normally confidant Fire Guardian froze up. She got a pained look on her face and turned away.

"Let's go, I've had enough of these two for one day." She said in a very subdued tone. Stacey and Connie were in total shock. Kaz removed Connie's hand from his arm and followed after Trista. The others were right behind them. Becky ran to catch up to her friend.

"Trista? You okay?" She asked.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Trista tried to sound normal, but her voice still trembled a little.

"Don't be that way. We could all tell that Stacey shook you up."

"I'm fine." Trista said much more sternly then she had intended. Becky was stunned by the outburst. "Sorry Becks, look can we go to the skate park? I need to blow off some steam."

"Sure, no problem." Trista sat by herself on the bus ride over, just staring out the window. Her mood improved when they reached their destination. Trista had two major passions in life. The first and foremost was the martial arts. Coming in a close second was riding her skateboard. She didn't have hers with her, but the park had ones for rent. Trista was already feeling more like herself as she strapped on her pads and helmet. As she kicked off the top of the ramp she forgot all about the incident at the mall and lost herself in the feeling of the wind whipping through her short hair. She soared onto the course, quickly gaining momentum needed to go up the sides of the cement walls and gain some air. Every time she made a jump her friends cheered her on from a viewing area that overlooked the course. After going through a tunnel she jumped up on a rail and grinded along the entire length. After performing several mores tricks to the delight of the crowd she exited the course. She was a little winded, but to Becky's relief she had a smile on her face.

"That was amazing Trista!" Kaz said elatedly.

"Ah, that wasn't anything special." Trista was blushing and rubbing the top of her head. After that they headed back to the Silver Dragon for dinner. Hay Lin had closed down the restaurant and had a large feast waiting for the gang when they arrived. The enticing smells of the food caused everyone to dig in eagerly. After stuffing themselves everyone drifted off to relax after such a long day. Becky found herself sitting next to Chase in one corner.

"Thank you for today Becky. We really did have a great time seeing your world." He said after a time.

"You're welcome Chase, we were glad to do it. Though I have to be honest, I was hoping that Nella might have lightened up a little."

"Ah, well, I'm afraid it's going to take more than a day out to brighten her mood. Frankly I'm afraid she's gotten worse." Chase sighed sadly at his own statement.

"How so?" Becky asked.

"Remember when I said she had changed, and that it was due to our father's death?" Becky nodded her head. "Well, not being able to find Marna has made things worse."

"Marna? Wasn't that her friend she was trying to find at the castle? Who is she exactly?"

"Marna is a servant girl in the castle. More than that she's Nella's best friend, in truth her only friend. The two of them are only a few months apart in age. She's lived her entire life in the castle."

"How did that happen?"

"You see, Marna is an orphan. Her mother was supposedly a servant at the castle that died in childbirth, who her father was we never knew. My father always taught us to be loyal to those who worked for us, and to treat them with dignity and respect. So when he heard about Marna he brought her to the castle as a baby. The servants are one big family and quickly set about to raising her. The castle guards were quite protective of her and were like a group of big brothers for her. Kaz and I are quite fond of her ourselves. As she grew Nella and she became fast friends, being the only two girls the same age in the castle. When the two of them weren't at their lessons or doing their duties they could always be found together. They had a reputation for getting into all kinds of mischief when they were younger. They discovered the secret passages at a young age and quickly set about to exploring them. No one knows them better than those two."

"Wow, I can see why Nella was desperate to find her." Becky said. She was feeling like she was beginning to understand the young princess a little better.

"Yes, the two of them have always been very close. I just wish she had said something earlier. I was so focused on getting Cornelia back I didn't even think about Marna. She didn't have to hide it from me. I would have gladly gotten her out of there."

"So why is she so mad at you if you would have rescued her friend?"

"She's not mad at me exactly. The problem is she's angry, but doesn't know what to do with that anger. She was much more lighthearted before this all began. She hasn't smiled once since we left the castle. I fear she may never go back to the way she was." Chase lowered his head in sadness. "I wish none of this had ever happened. Damn Logrim, damn him to the abyss and back."

"I'm sorry Chase, I had hoped this day would get your mind off of things."

"I appreciate that Becky, it's just hard to relax when my people are suffering under Logrim's rule. We have to stop him, and soon. There has to be some way to find out what he's up to."

"What we need is someone on the inside, someone who can get us that info. But who? Who can we trust to do the job?" Becky's head shot up followed by Chase. They had just had the same wonderful, terrible idea. At the same time Kaz and Trista were having a talk of their own.

"I hope you had a good time today.' Trista said casually.

"I did, your world is an amazing place. Though those two girls at the mall were rather odd." Kaz regretted his words when Trista got a distressed look on her face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay, frankly I shouldn't let Stacey get to me like that."

"Of course you shouldn't! She doesn't know what she's talking about! You're an incredible girl!" Trista's cheeks grew bright red. Kaz was stunned at his own boldness, but continued on. "I mean, you're an incredible fighter, you're amazing to watch on your skateboard, you're spirited and you are so…beautiful."

"Kaz… I, I don't, please stop…" Trista stammered out.

"I can't, Trista, I love…" Before he could finish speaking the Fire Guardian silenced him with her fingers on his lips.

"Please don't Kaz, don't say it. I'm not someone you want to involve yourself with. I'm a rebel skater girl. My mom is always getting on my case about my skating and martial arts. She's always saying how it's not ladylike. Well, as much as I hate to admit it she's right." Tears had formed at the corners of her eyes. "I'm no lady, and that's what you deserve Kaz, a lady. I can't change who I am and I don't want to. So please Kaz, find someone more deserving of your love then me." Kaz tried to protest, but Trista paid him no head and walked away, leaving the young prince in a state of complete bewilderment. A short while later the girls bid their friends a good night as they returned to Meridian. Trista wouldn't even look at Kaz however.

"I've got to say, with the exception of that run in with Stacey and Connie, the day went great." Amy had a pleased smile on her face. The others nodded in agreement.

"Yeah it did." Becky had her chin in her hand. "Unfortunately it's back to business as usual. Everyone be back here in the morning. Chase and I have come up with a new plan."

"Oh yeah? What do you two have cooking?" Lisa asked.

"We'll explain tomorrow. Just be prepared, Nella isn't going to like it." The other girls could only look at their leader with questioning gazes.

The next day the entire team was gathered at the council chamber in Kandrakar. Everyone was there including Elyon and lord Wogen. Everyone was milling around, waiting for Becky and Chase. They weren't waiting long when the two people in question came into the room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. We were just going over a couple of things." Becky said. "I'll get right to the point. For awhile now we've been using the same tactics, making hit and run attacks, searching for remnants of Eldrin's army in hopes of gathering some clue as to what Logrim is up to. And that's been fine, up to a point. We're still no closer to understanding what he's after. We just can't keep going on as we are."

"So what's the plan then?" Lisa asked.

"What we need is an insider, someone who can gather the information we need."

"You mean a spy." Will said.

"Exactly. It's the only way we're going to be able to find out Logrim's plans. Even if we don't get the exact information we need, we'll at least have a better idea of where and when to strike at him."

"You know, that's not such a bad idea. Back during the days of the rebellion Vathek was our inside man with Phobos. He managed to get us all kinds of info." Caleb said.

"So who do you suggest we get to be a spy for us? It's not like we're going to be able to place someone inside the castle. Unless you mean to have our spy stick to the secret passages." Sarah said.

"Actually, the person we plan to use is already on the inside, though the passages will help with the spying." Chase began to explain. Nella looked at her brother with growing suspicion, she had a feeling as to where this was going, and she didn't like it one bit. "You see, when Logrim took the castle, the servants were trapped there. From what we found out while we were on the run, Logrim kept them alive and has been forcing them to work for him."

"You mean to use one of the servants!" Trista blurted out.

"Not just any servant. The one we have in mind has extensive knowledge of the tunnels and passages. She'll be able…"

"Stop right there! You are not going to use Marna as your spy! By the Abyss I won't you let you put my best friend in danger!" Nella screamed at the top of her lungs. "You can just come up with another plan, because I'm not going to let this happen!"

"Nella, listen, I understand you're upset. But we have to do this. There isn't any other way. A servant like Marna will be beneath the notice of Logrim and his men. She'll be able to gather all kinds of secrets for us." Chase did his best to sooth his sister's anger. However, the young princess wouldn't allow herself to be calmed down.

"No! No! I won't risk Marna!" Nella gripped her head with both hands and screamed at the top of her lungs. As her voice faded she fell to her knees, staring at the floor. A stunned silence fell over the entire group. No one knew what to say or do. After a few uncomfortable seconds Becky inched her way over to the young girl.

"Nella?" She said hesitantly.

"What?" She said in a deadpan tone.

"I'm sorry, we were wrong. We'll go to the castle and pull your friend out of there."

"What about your grand plan?" Nella looked up, looking completely dejected.

"We'll find someone else." Becky shook her head. "We won't do this, not if it's going to upset you."

"I don't want anything to happen to her. She's my only friend. But you have a point, no one knows those tunnels better then the two of us. What kind of friend am I for thinking like that?"

"How about this? We go to castle and ask Marna. If she isn't willing to do the job we take her with us." Becky said gently. Nella didn't voice her agreement, she just nodded her head. "Okay then, we'll go in small. The five of us, Chase, Kaz, and of course Nella."

"Hold on, I don't mean to burst your bubble here, but do you have any kind of plan beyond getting this girl to spy for you? What is she going to do with the information she gathers? How is she going to get it to you? I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but you need answers to these kinds of questions before you even begin." Caleb said.

"Well, I admit we don't have all the details worked out. We figured we could use members of the royal army as a go between. We could set up a teleportation circle like they use to get between Eldrin and Meridian or wherever we wanted." Becky said.

"That may not be such a good idea. Chase, you said Logrim has a wizard working for him. The problem with using a teleportation circle is that any magic user can sense one being activated and where it's located. By using folds you escape detection." The Oracle's explanation put a serious damper on everyone's excitement. Becky could feel her plan falling apart. The only ones who could create folds were herself, Blunk, and Elyon. Elyon had to stay on Meridian and she wasn't going to make Blunk stay there. She could leave a astral drop on Earth, but that could cause all kinds of problems.

"I think I have a solution here. I still have Nerissa's ring. We can give to Marna or her contact and they can use it to open folds back to here." Elyon said suddenly.

"Good thinking Elyon! I had forgotten all about the ring!" Will shouted out.

"It'll take me a little bit to get it. I have to release the magic seals I placed on it. I didn't want it falling into the wrong hands. I'll be back with it as soon as possible." With that Elyon opened a fold and left.

"You know this spy idea is a good start, but I think we need to take it a step further." Kaz said.

"What do you mean?" Becky asked.

"I mean it's time we start fighting back, we need to establish a resistance force. Sometimes it feels like we've been just sitting around doing nothing while Logrim rips our world apart."

"We could use what soldiers we have to start a resistance force, with what Marna can tell us we could do all kinds of damage." Chase said.

"You'll need my help there then. I did lead Meridian's resistance for some time. And you'll need more than just your soldiers. You have maybe a thousand troops, you're going to want to find volunteers among the refugees." Caleb said. Over the next several minutes Caleb and Chase discussed the finer points of setting up guerrilla operations. Elyon's return signaled the end of the talking. Becky opened a fold to Eldrin and those going began stepping through. Just before Nella crossed through she turned to Becky.

"No offense Becky, but I hope your plan fails. I really don't want Marna to do this." Becky looked away as Nella stepped through the fold.

Half an hour later the group was in the tunnel behind Marna's room. The mood was rather somber, no one spoke at all. Nella was watching her friend's room from a hidden window, waiting for Marna to return. She had complained at first because she wanted to wait inside the room, it took some doing to convince her that it wasn't safe to do so. She wasn't happy about the limited view provided by the window, but eventually accepted it as the safer option. She insisted on being the one to watch the room and hadn't moved an inch since beginning her vigil. Everyone was so lost in their own thoughts that when the creak of a door opening echoed in the hidden passage everyone jumped a foot off the ground.

"Is it her?" Chase asked in hushed tones. Nella didn't answer, she just continued to watch the room. Before anyone could stop her Nella moved away from the peephole and opened the hidden door into her friend's room. The others quickly moved to the doorway to see what was happening. The first thing they noticed was a very stunned girl sitting on a simple wooden cot. Her green hair was in a long braid that was tossed over the front of her left shoulder. Her large emerald green eyes were filled with a mixture of shock and delight.

"Nella…" The girl's voice sounded musical even in a whisper. The princess just stood before her friend breathing hard and trembling all over. She finally broke down and ran over to her friend and embraced her in a fierce hug. Marna hugged her friend back.

"Marna, I'm so sorry! I should never have left without you! I've been so worried about you! Can you ever forgive me!?" The young servant girl gently pushed her friend back. She gripped Nella's shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"There is nothing to forgive my friend." Marna had a gentle smile on her face and a compassionate look in her eyes. "You didn't have any choice. I'm just glad you're safe." For the first time she noticed Nella's brothers and the girls. "Kaz! Chase!" She shouted happily. She embraced them both and arched an eyebrow at the girl's Guardian outfits.

"Let me introduce Becky, Amy, Lisa, Sarah and Trista. They saved us from Logrim's goons. You see, they're the Guardians." Chase explained. Marna's eyes grew to twice their size and her jaw dropped.

"So the rumors are true then! The Guardians really have come to save us!" Marna lit up in joy, her smile went entirely across her face.

"That's right, but we need your help Marna. We don't know what Logrim's plan is. That's where you come in. We need you to be our eyes and ears here in the castle." Chase explained.

"I get it, no one knows the passages like Nella or I. And I can move about unnoticed since I'm a servant." Becky was impressed at how quickly Marna deduced their reasoning. She was obviously intelligent and quick-witted. A definite plus for them.

"But that's only if you want to do it. No one is forcing you to do this. In fact, forget we even mentioned it. Come on, get your stuff we're getting you out of here." Nella spoke in rush. She didn't even wait for a response before she started trying to gather up Marna's belongings.

"Nella, stop. It's alright, if I can play a part in freeing our world, then I'm more than willing to take the risk." Nella stopped what she was doing and slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"Thank you Marna, we appreciate the risk you're taking here. Before we get into the details, how are you and the other servants doing?"

"Let's move into the passageway. My door may be locked, but that won't stop anyone form overhearing us." They moved back into the tunnel and closed the secret door. "For the most part we're doing okay. Logrim isn't letting us leave the castle. He hasn't killed any of the staff, he needs us alive, but that hasn't stopped him from whipping someone if they displease him. Even worse, he lets his men … take advantage of the female members of the staff." Nella gasped in shock.

"Have any of them… touched you?" She asked hesitantly.

"No, I've been lucky. I've been careful, I have gotten some looks that have made me very uncomfortable." Becky was feeling even more apprehensive then before. The thought of the young girl being touched by some greasy thug was incredibly disturbing. She could see the same thought on the face of the others. "So, how am I going to get messages to you?"

"We're going to set up a contact for you." Before Chase could elaborate Nella stepped forward.

"That'll be me."

"What?" Kaz said in disbelief.

"You've all said it, no one know the tunnels better then the two of us. I'm not going to entrust Marna's safety to anyone else."

"So what are you thinking? The old chamber under the southern wing as a meeting point?" The green haired girl said. The two of them started setting things up like the others weren't even there.

"Yeah, good call. You can use our hiding spot to leave messages and stuff. If you think they're on to you or I feel you're in danger I'll pull you out. We can set up a regular time to meet."

"What if there's an emergency and I need to get a hold of you right away?"

"Maybe we can set up some kind of communication device."

"I think the Oracle can help with that. Mom said he did something like that for Cornelia and Elyon so they could talk to each other any time they wanted, even though they're on different worlds." Becky said.

"Oh, before I forget, I have something of yours Nella." Marna reached into a pocket of her dress and pulled out a golden locket with intricate engravings on a silver chain.

"My pendant! But how!? I left it in my room!" Nella blurted out.

"I managed to retrieve it before they ransacked your room. I know how much it means to you." Marna lowered the necklace into Nella's hands. The princess looked at it for a moment before she took it and placed it around her friend's neck. "Nella? But this was your mother's."

"You're right, it does mean a lot to me, but you mean more. It's always been my lucky charm, but now it's yours." Marna's eyes began to fill with tears of joy.

"Thank you Nella, I promise I'll keep it safe."

"I know you will. We better go, but I'll be back soon. Count on it. I'll meet you in the chamber in two days."

"Okay, I'll see you then, tell then keep safe my friend."

"The same goes for you." Nella said as she once again hugged Marna. As the group made their way back through a fold Becky was amazed at the young girl's courage and hoped hadn't just placed a death sentence on her head. As for Nella, even after she crossed back over to Kandrakar her eyes were locked in the direction of where her friend waited for her return.

**And that's a wrap for chapter sixteen. Hope you enjoyed it! Questions and comments are always welcome! Preview of next chapter: Becky and the gang take a break from their Guardian duties and take part in video game contest! Unfortantly they have some unwelcome compition. Once agian Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! **


	17. Chapter 17 Dance Off

**Greetings! I know it's been a rather long time since I posted a chapter. I didn't mean get into such a long haitus, but it happened and you have my apologies. But enough of that, i have it up now so that's what counts. **

**So then some thank yous. First to last chapters reviewers: Joe habana, DayDreamer9, yellow 14, XV-Dragon and Jocknerd23. I apprciate you guys leaving your comments, I really do. Also I need to give out a special tahnk you to Guardian's Light, who waaay back when I wrote chapter 5 made a suggestion that turned into this chapter. So everyone, read on, leave your thoughts in a review and hopefully enjoy chapter 17!**

Chapter 17: Dance Off

It had been about two weeks since Becky and the others had contacted Marna and got her to agree to be their spy inside the castle, and already the information she had gathered had been paying off. Thanks to her efforts they had been able to head off at least two raids on villages, but so far she hadn't come up with anything on Logrim's main objective. Like she had said Nella was working as her direct contact. She carried Nerissa's ring much to Chase's displeasure, he didn't like the idea of his sister having the ability to come and go as she pleased. But so far she hadn't abused the privilege. Nella was only using the ring to go to her regular meetings with Marna. Nella went to these meetings alone, claiming she didn't want the others to waste their time listening to boring reports. Becky just figured the young girl wanted to spend time with her friend uninterrupted by outsiders.

Chase and Kaz efforts to put together a resistance force was going along smoothly, thanks to a lot of help from Caleb and some of his lieutenants like Vathek and Aldarn. Volunteers among the refugees from Eldrin were high. Chase was overseeing the combat training while Kaz was working to set up hideouts, supply caches and escape routes. Becky and the others felt like they were finally accomplishing something towards their goal of freeing Eldrin from Logrim and his army.

The girls were taking a much needed day off and spending it having fun at the mall. After a vigorous round of shopping they stopped by the food court for a bite to eat. As they sat enjoying their snack they noticed an employee from the arcade wandering around, passing out yellow flyers to any teenager he saw in the crowd.

"Wonder what this is all about." Sarah said off-handedly. They didn't have to wonder long as they were spied by the man passing out the flyers.

"Hey girls, how you doing today?" He said as he handed a flyer to each of them. "We're just going around letting people know about a video game contest we're having this weekend."

"Oh wow, sounds like fun! What's the game?" Amy said excitedly.

"It's a Dance Master competition, all the info is on the flyers. If you have any questions, feel free to stop by the arcade and ask. Hope to see you there!" With that the man walked off.

"A Dance Master contest, Becky you should so enter! You could win it so easily!" Lisa said.

"I don't know about that, there's bound to be a ton of people competing, especially if there's any prizes." Becky said with a shake of her head.

"Says here there is, let's see what they are." Trista scanned the flyer in her hand. "Holy crap! First prize is a thousand dollar gift card good at any store in the mall!"

"No way! They must be expecting a huge turnout with a prize like that!" Amy blurted out.

"So how is this working anyway?" Becky asked, intrigued by the prospects of the top prize.

"Well, says here they're having the qualifying rounds later today. In which everyone has to play three songs on normal difficulty. The top sixteen people with the highest scores will face off in a tiered tournament tomorrow night. It's single elimination, winner take all." Sarah finished reading from the flyer and put it down. "Wouldn't it be something to win, just imagine all the stuff you could buy with the first prize."

"We should enter! We may not win, but it could still be a lot of fun!" Amy said. "At the very least we can go over the arcade and see how many people are signing up."

"Yeah, why not? I'm kind of curious to see who is competing." When they arrived at the arcade they were surprised by the number of people there. Two lines stretched out from a table set up for the sign ups.

"Wow, looks like almost a hundred people are here." Lisa said in surprise. "People must really want that gift card. Competition is going to be stiff. So what do think? Do we sign up?"

"Why bother, it's not like any of you losers has a chance of winning." The girls turned around at the sound of Stacey's voice. Chad, Connie, and Jenny were there as well. "Do yourselves a favor and don't waste your money on the entrance fee. After all, I'm going to be the one to win this."

"You sound pretty sure of yourself." Amy said.

"Why shouldn't I be? I'm the best cheerleader on the squad, everyone knows I've got the moves to beat anyone who goes up against me. That includes you Vandom, I know all about your supposed skills with this game. Save yourself the embarrassment and walk away."

"Why should I? I have every right to participate. I'm going enter, and I'm going to kick your butt!" Becky leaned in and glared at Stacey. The cheerleader was stunned, but quickly recovered.

"Whatever bring it on Vandom. I tried to warn you, but you didn't want to listen. Now I'm going to have to humiliate you, which is fine by me. Go ahead and let that sink in. Let's go." Stacey, Connie, and Chad walked off while Jenny hung back for a second.

"Good luck." She said before scurrying off to catch up with Stacey's group. Sarah watched her go and just shook her head.

"C'mon. Let's get signed up. Time to put that brat in her place."

"All of us? But Becky, you're the one with the best chance of beating her." Amy said.

"Maybe, but with all five of us participating there's a better chance of one of us taking her out, and I really don't want her to win." By the time they had signed up and paid the entrance fee it was time for the qualifying round to begin. Several Dance Master machines had been set up. Everyone who was competing had a number pinned to their back. A large crowd of onlookers had gathered around to watch.

"Thank you all for coming out today." The mc said to the contestants. "I'm going to go over the rules quickly so everyone knows how this is going to work. Everyone is going to play the same three songs, the top sixteen will be decided by scores. Those sixteen will face off in single elimination rounds tomorrow night. The winner will get the thousand dollar gift card!" The contestants cheered excitedly. The officials lined everyone up in front of the machines. Becky felt the butterflies in her stomach growing bigger by the second. She knew there would be a lot of people, but she hadn't expected this many. She wasn't very positive about beating so many people. But then she thought of Stacey's smug face and rotten attitude, which renewed her resolve to beat her silly. When it was her turn Becky shook hands with the girl she was playing against and turned to face the screen.

"Okay girls, you ready to go?" The official asked.

"Yes!" Becky and her opponent cried out.

"Good! Just so you know the three songs are 'Thunder Storm', 'Summer Waves' and 'Space Walk'." Becky nodded to herself, she knew all three of those numbers well, having played them several times. She took a deep breath and focused herself just as the first arrows slid across the screen. Becky was concerned about her score and how the other girl was doing, but she couldn't glance away to check. When all three songs were over, Becky was out of breath and all sweaty. The official came forward to record the scores on his clipboard. Becky was pleased to see she had earned over five hundred thousand points. She went to check on the others, while they hadn't done quite as well as her they had all scored about four hundred thousand.

"Anyone know how Stacey did?"

"No, she was at a different machine, so we didn't get to see her score. But from the cheers she must have done well." Lisa said.

"I saw Jenny play, she did great. If she makes it through she's going to be tough to beat." Sarah said.

"What about Chad and Connie?"

"They're in it too."

"So it's a showdown between our two groups, this could get ugly." Becky said.

"Yeah, but wouldn't it be great if we totally whipped them." Trista said excitedly, but seeing the look on Sarah's face she quickly revised her statement. "Well, maybe not Jenny, she's not like the rest of them." Before they could discuss things further the mc stepped forward.

"I have the results of the qualifying round! I'll now read the names of our finalists in random order."

"Here we go, the moment of truth." Becky said quietly.

"First up, we have Stacey Gelding!"

"Ah great, not only does she make it through, but they call her name first." Trista mumbled as Stacey moved to the front of the crowd and waved. She spied Becky among the crowd and very briefly stuck her tongue out. Becky just rolled her eyes.

"Next up is Brenda Masters!" A girl with sandy blonde hair came out of the crowd. Stacey had a strained smile on her face as Brenda joined her.

"She seems familiar." Becky whispered to Amy.

"Brenda is the head cheerleader." Amy whispered back. Becky now understood why Stacey was so uncomfortable. She didn't want to play against her superior on the cheerleading squad. Well though luck for her was what Becky thought. The next six to be called up were all kids from Sheffield that Becky recognized, but didn't know personally.

"That's half of our finalists already, let's keep going with number nine, Jenny Avings!" the girls cheered loudly when they heard Jenny's name called. As she walked up to join the others jenny looked both very happy and surprised. Stacey just crossed her arms and snorted.

"Alright Jenny, way too go!" Sarah called out.

"Finalist number ten is Chad Exiter!" Stacey squealed as her boyfriend strutted forward to stand next to his girlfriend.

"Oh you got to be kidding me! How the hell did Chad make it through!?" Trista cried out.

"Only six to go! Lisa Sonders!"

"Yes!" Lisa shouted out, pumping her fist. Becky squeezed her girlfriend's hand before she walked up to the front of the crowd.

"Spot number twelve belongs to Trista Harding!" Trista let out a war cry and ran up front.

"Well that's two of us." Sarah said.

"Only four spots left! So come on up Sarah Childs!"

"Oh, make that three." Sarah walked forward and stood next to Jenny, who flashed her a brief smile.

"Number fourteen is Connie Williams!" The redhead walked forward and flipped her hair when she got to the front.

"Well that's Stacey's entire group." Amy muttered.

"We're down to our final two contestants! One of which is Amy Evans!"

"See you up there in sec." Amy said to Becky.

"Now for our final contestant… Becky Vandom!" Becky let go of a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Which was silly since she had scored higher than the others. She walked up front, high fived her friends and took her place in line, much to the displeasure of Stacey. "There you have it, our top sixteen players! They will be competing tomorrow night for the grand prize! Thank you to everyone who came out today!" With that the crowd began to disperse now that the excitement was over.

"We all made it! This is so cool!" Amy said happily.

"Don't celebrate yet! You may of made it this far, but there is no way you losers are going to beat me! I'll take you all down myself if I have to!" Stacey cried in a high pitched voice.

"Whoa, dial it back a notch why don't you! I don't need your spit all over my face, thank you very much!" Trista said, backing up a step.

"Now now girls, save it for the finals tomorrow night." The mc said. "Which will be at eight o'clock. We'll go over the rules then."

"Tomorrow night then, prepare to get your ass kicked Vandom." Stacey stormed off followed by her entourage.

"Tomorrow night." Becky said as she watched her nemesis walk off. The girls said their goodbyes for the time being and headed home for the day. When she got back to the apartment she found Will and Irma in the kitchen with their arms wrapped around each other. After Becky cleared her throat and some embarrassed giggles from everyone the young leader of the Guardians explained about the day's events.

"Stacey, isn't she that bitch of a cheerleader that's always messing with you?" Irma asked.

"Yeah, that's her. She's a real pain."

"Kind of reminds the Grumper sisters." Irma said.

"Who?"

"Courtney and Bess Grumper, they were these two girls that went to school with us. They delighted in trying to torment us, not unlike Stacey does with you and your friends." Will explained.

"So, do you think you can win this tournament?" Irma asked.

"Well, I'm not as concerned with winning as I am with beating Stacey. I'm just so sick of her trying to make me and my friends miserable. Though I admit it would be nice to win that shopping card."

"Well then, get in there and kick some butt like I know you can." Will said in encouragement. Becky could only smile and shake her head.

The next evening there was standing room only as a crowd gathered to watch the final rounds of the competition. A large portion of the spectators were made up of supporters for the finalists. Will and Irma were in attendance to cheer the girls on. A single Dance Master machine had been set up in the center of the floor. Next to it sitting on an easel was a large piece of poster board with the sixteen contestant's names on it. They had been laid out in a standard tournament format. Everyone had been separated into eight pairs for the preliminary round. Lines from each pair led to a blank space meant for the winner of that duo. Becky did the math in her head and found there would be fifteen rounds in all. Becky was thankful that she didn't have to face any of her friends in the first set of rounds. Just before things were scheduled to start the mc from yesterday quieted everyone down.

"Before we begin I'll go over the rules for the finals. For each round everyone will dance to the same song, the difficultly will be set at normal except for the final round which will be set to hard. Highest score moves on while the loser is eliminated. In the case of a tie the song will be replayed on a higher difficulty setting. So now that we're all clear on the rules let's get this party started!" With that the mc hit the start button and the Dance Master machine flared to life.

"Dance Master! Tournament mode!" A female voice from the machine said. Becky could feel the butterflies forming in her stomach, but one glimpse at the haughty look on Stacey's face renewed her determination to beat her rival. Becky would have to wait for her chance though, Becky was in the second round of the prelims while Stacey was in the eighth. The first round was Brenda against one of the kids Becky didn't know.

"Round one, Brenda Masters versus Derek Chalmers. The song for the prelims is Psycho Stars!' The mc called out. Becky nodded her head slightly, she wasn't surprised at the choice of songs for the opening round. Psycho Stars wasn't a super hard song, but it would provide enough of a challenge to everyone. Becky wasn't that worried about it however, Psycho Stars was one of her favorite numbers. Brenda and Derek were now up on the pad facing the screen. Brenda was in the player one position and Derek at the player two spot.

"Players ready? Start!" The music started and the arrows started sliding across the screen, the song's fast paced electro pop music and vocals flowed from the speakers. Becky didn't have a very good view from where she was standing, but from what she could see Brenda was doing good, hitting most of her targets with near perfect timing. Becky knew she'd be a tough opponent to face in the next round of play, assuming she made it that far. When the song ended both players looked slightly out of breath. The game began calculating their scores, which was based on the number of hits, perfect hits, and misses. "Winner! Player one!" Brenda pumped her fist into the air and cheered. She shook hands with her opponent who walked away with a disappointed look on his face. The crowd cheered, even Stacey, though she seemed a little stressed.

"Congratulations Brenda! You move on to quarter finals where you'll face the winner of the next round. So come on up Becky Vandom and Holly Parker!" Becky took a deep breath and stepped up to the stage and took the player two spot. The other girl, Holly, Becky recognized from a couple of her classes, but had never spoken to her or even known her name until now. She had short black hair, bright green eyes and freckles.

"Good luck." She said to Becky.

"You too." Becky replied.

"Players ready? Start!" All of Becky's focus was on the screen in front of her now. She didn't pay attention to anything else but the arrows and the beat of the music. She didn't dare spare a glance to see how the other girl was doing. Becky mentally called out the arrow hits as she hit them. Left, right, up, up down, right, right, left and right, left and right. Before she knew it the song was over and she was sweating slightly. Looking over she saw that the other girl Holly was out of breath and sweating as well. Becky held her breath in anxious anticipation while she waited for the game to announce the results.

"Winner! Player two!" Becky cheered and pumped her fist. Her friends cheered wildly, as did Jenny. Stacey just glared at Becky while grinding her teeth.

"Good job." Holly said to Becky. The two of them shook hands briefly before Holly stepped down to join the crowd and watch the rest of the show. The mc stepped forward once again to set up het next round.

"Okay! Next up we have Jenny Avings facing of against Alan McDouglas." Jenny moved forward to take the player two spot Becky had just vacated. She stuck her hand out to shake the hand of the other player, but he just sneered at Jenny.

"I don't need any luck to beat a loser like you." He snapped. Jenny looked monumentally hurt and turned away. Sarah got very pissed and would have slapped the guy if she hadn't been held back by Trista. She took a deep breath to calm down so she could give Jenny some support instead.

"Don't listen to him Jenny! You're not a loser! Kick his butt into next week!" Jenny smiled at Sarah and nodded her head in appreciation.

"Like I'm gonna lose to a girl." Alan said.

"Players ready? Start!" The familiar song once again started up. Alan had a superior look in his eyes as he played. Jenny bit her lip as concentrated on her moves. Becky and the girls cheered Jenny on, all of them wanting her to win. When it was over the machine announced the results.

"Winner! Player Two!" Everyone started to cheer except for the boy who had just lost to Jenny.

"It can't be! There must be some mistake! You must have cheated!" Alan screamed at the top of his lungs. The joy that had been spreading across Jenny's face instantly slid out of sight and was quickly replaced by a look of fear. "I'll kick your ass! No one cheats me!" Jenny squeaked in fear and dodged out of the way as the enraged Alan made a grab for her. Sarah roared in outrage and dashed forward to intercept the boy as he began to chase after Jenny. Sarah slammed her fist into Alan's gut, he doubled over and let out a groan of pain as two burly security guards in black t-shirts dragged the still enraged Alan away.

"Who the hell let that idiot in here?" Trista muttered. The mc stepped forward to calm things down and keep things going.

"Time for round four! Sarah Childs facing off against Chad Exiter." He said quickly. Chad strutted up to the stage and took the player one spot. He flashed Sarah a grin as she took the player two spot.

"Hey cutie, how about you let me win this? I'll make it worth your while." Sarah rolled her eyes and looked at Chad over the top of her glasses.

"Why don't you save your cheap lines for someone who'll actually fall for them." She said in a scathing tone. Chad just shrugged and turned towards the screen.

"Players ready? Start!" Becky and the girls cheered Sarah on while Stacey gave her boyfriend encouragement in a slightly different manner. She started telling him what she'd do for him if he won. Unfortunately this proved to be more of a distraction than anything else. He paid less and less attention to the screen as Stacey got more explicit. Becky's face screwed up in a mixture of shock and disgust at some of the things Stacey was saying.

"Okay, let's keep the language clean." The mc had an uncomfortable look on his face. Stacey saw the looks she was getting and quickly stopped talking. Moments later the song ended.

"Winner! Player two!" The girls started cheering while Chad had a dumbfounded look on his face. He went to Stacey with a sheepish grin, she just stuck up her nose and turned away from him. Sarah didn't look exactly happy about her win and Becky realized why. In the next round she would have to go up against Jenny.

"The player two spot seems to be the lucky position tonight! Let's keep things going with Connie Williams against Amy Evans!" Amy gave the girls a pair of thumbs up and took the player two spot. Connie flipped her hair and climbed up on the stage. The all too familiar song started up once again. Things were going fine at first for Amy, but about half away into the song her shoelaces suddenly came undone and she stepped on them, causing her to trip and fall. She let a groan of pain and embarrassment as she quickly scrambled back to her feet. Unfortunately the damage had been done. She and Connie had been neck to neck up until that moment and when it was over the game machine confirmed the results.

"Winner! Player one!" Amy slapped her forehead and rejoined her friends.

"Tough break Amy." Becky said.

"You're telling me? I'm the gamer of the group and I'm the first one to get eliminated. Next time I think I'll tuck my shoelaces into my shoes." Amy seemed to be taking her loss in stride, however Connie wasn't about to let it go.

"I'm surprised you managed to play at all you clumsy nerd!" She cackled. Amy just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Whatever, at least I don't dress like a hooker." Amy said under her breath. The rest of the girls giggled at her insult.

"Next up we have Setsuna Miyakami playing against Lisa Sonders." Becky discreetly squeezed Lisa's hand as she took the player one spot while a Japanese girl with long dark hair took the player two position. The two of them wished each other luck as the song started up. Lisa's gymnastics skills were serving her well, but the Setsuna girl was proving to be a challenge none the less. When it was over Lisa was out of breath. Becky bit her lip waiting for the results, from her point of view the match had been pretty even.

"Winner! Player one!" Becky started screaming excitedly. Setsuna gave a slight bow to Lisa before leaving the stage. When she got back to the group Becky gave her girlfriend another discreet hand squeeze.

"Well, well. Looks like the luck has shifted to the player one spot. Will it stay there? Let's find out! For round seven we have Lita Myers and Trista Harding!" Lita, who's auburn hair was done up in a ponytail, got to the stage first and took the player one position. She seemed nervous, because she was reluctant to shake Trista's hand.

"That Lita girl seems kind of intimidated." Sarah said.

"Trista has the effect on people. She scared me a little when we first met, remember? " Becky answered.

"Players ready? Start!" Both Trista and Lita jumped into action, both moving furiously in time with the arrows on the screen. Once again Becky could tell it was going to be a close match, both girls seemed evenly matched. Neither of them missing many of their arrows. "Winner! Player two!" Trista let out a war whoop in celebration of her win. Lita looked crestfallen and started to trudge away, but not before Trista stopped her. She said something to Lita, but Becky couldn't hear what was being said. Whatever it was Lita seemed a little happier than she did a minute ago.

"What did you say to her?" Amy asked Trista once she rejoined the group.

"Not much. Just said that she did really well and that I was impressed with her performance."

"Ahh, that was really sweet of you Trista." Lisa said. Trista just shrugged like it was no big deal.

"We now come to the last of our preliminary rounds. So I'll ask Stacey Gelding and Brad Harper to come forward." Stacey strolled up with a confident look on her face and stepped into the player one spot. Brad hopped up on stage and tried to shake Stacey's hand, but she just gave him a disgusted look like he was a piece of refuse.

"Oh come on, can't she even show a little bit of sportsmanship." Amy complained.

"Of course she can't. It's her, she doesn't know the meaning of that word." Becky said.

"Player's ready? Start!" Stacey leapt into action. Becky had to admit she was good. The cheerleader was fast. She didn't even appear to be paying attention to the screen. Yet she didn't seem to miss a single arrow. Becky knew she would be difficult to beat, which was confirmed when the song was over.

"Winner! Player one! Perfect game!" Connie and Chad cheered at the top of their lungs.

"No Way! She got a perfect game! She's that good!?" Amy cried out in disbelief.

"Guess so, she's going to be tough to beat, but if anyone can do it, it's Becky" Lisa said confidently, causing Becky to blush. Stacey meanwhile was staring Becky's group down with a smug look on her face.

"What an exciting end to the preliminary round! We now move on to the quarter finals. The song for this round will be Go! Fight! Win!" Becky bit her lip, she knew that song all too well, it was much more difficult than Psycho Stars. "Let's begin the quarter finals with Brenda Masters and Becky Vandom." Brenda stood on the player two spot while Becky had player one.

"You're going to be hard to beat. I watched you play, you're good." Brenda said as she shook Becky's hand.

"I could say the same to you. Good luck to the both of us, okay?" Brenda nodded and turned to face the screen. Becky did the same and waited for the game to start.

"Player's ready? Start!" Arrows started sliding across the screen and once again Becky was lost in her own world. A small part of her mind was slightly worried because this song had a lot of what Becky called 'double backs'. Arrows that went one way and then immediately went in opposite direction only to go back to the original direction. Up, down, up, left and right, up and down, left and right, left, left, right. Finally the song ended and Becky leaned back on the stage's railing to catch her breath. A moment later the game announced the results. "Winner! Player Two!" The girls started screaming and Becky couldn't believe her luck, she had beaten Brenda by only a few thousand points.

"Heh, I knew you were good." Brenda said. "I saw you out of the corner of my eye, you've got some moves. Ever thought about trying out for cheerleading?"

"Are you serious?" Becky asked.

"Very. I'm always on the lookout for new talent for the squad. So what do you say? Want to try out?"

"I'm flattered, I really am. But I think I'll pass. Stacey and I don't get along." Becky said with a shake of her head.

"Ah, you're the Becky Stacey is always ranting about. That's unfortunate. You'd never make it in with that being the case."

"And why is that?" Becky said slightly annoyed. She had been thinking that Brenda was actually pretty nice, unlike Stacey.

"Oh, don't take it the wrong way. I still would love to have you on the squad. The problem is that all candidates have to receive a majority of votes from the existing members. And most of the squad votes the way Stacey votes. Either out of intimidation or because they want to become more popular by being in her good graces. It sucks, but there's not much I can do about it. So anyways, do me a favor, kick Stacey's butt." With that Brenda left the stage and walked back into the crowd, leaving Becky in a state of total disbelief.

"What was that all about?" Amy asked.

"She asked if I wanted to be a cheerleader."

"No way! What did you say?" Trista asked in shock.

"Turned her down, I mean, why would I want hang out with Stacey's crowd?" Becky said with a shrug. Before the others could ask her more the mc announced the next round.

"Okay! For the second round of our quarter finals we have Sarah Childs and Jenny Avings!" This was the match that Becky had been dreading. She knew that Sarah was protective of Jenny, playing against her wasn't going to be easy for her friend.

"Good luck Jenny." Sarah said from the player two spot. Jenny laughed sadly.

"It doesn't really matter. Even if I do make it to the final round, I'll have to let Stacey win." She said.

"What!? Why? That's so unfair!"

"It doesn't matter. It would take too long to explain. Suffice it to say, I'm at her mercy. So let's just get this over with." Sarah was left speechless by what Jenny had just said. She recovered just before the song began. Becky watched with anxiously, unsure which way she wanted this matchup to go. She almost couldn't watch. Moments later it was over.

"Winner! Player two!"

"Looks like you beat me." Sarah said with a smile, though she turned immediately serious. "If you do make it to the finals, don't just roll over for Stacey. I don't know what kind of hold she has on you, but don't let her rule your life."

"You let her win." Becky said with a grin when Sarah was back with the group.

"I did no such thing. She beat me fair and square." She said in a very matter of fact voice. "She's just really good."

"Yeah right, and I'm from Neptune!" Trista said with pure skepticism in her voice. None of the other girls believed her either, but they couldn't prove it.

"Things are really heating up now! The third match of the quarter finals is Connie Williams and Lisa Sonders!"

"Good luck." Becky whispered.

"It's in the bag." Lisa said with a wink. Neither Connie nor Lisa bothered to look at each other as they climbed up onto the stage. Lisa was player one and Connie player two.

"You're going down. I'm going to cream you just like I did your computer geek friend."

"We'll see. Oh, by the way, the only reason you won against Amy was because of a fluke. I wouldn't count on the same luck this time around." Connie only chuckled. The game began immediately after that. Lisa got the jump on Connie, but Connie caught up quickly. It was a dead heat right up to the end, with Lisa getting a couple of last minute perfect hits in.

"Winner! Player one!" Connie went into a temper tantrum at the news she had lost to Lisa.

"I want a rematch! I'm better than her! I'm supposed to be going on, not her!" She was still ranting a few minutes later and had to be escorted outside until she calmed down.

"Talk about things heating up, uh, for the final pairing of the, uh, quarter finals we have Trista Harding and Stacey Gelding." The mc passed by Becky and she heard him muttering to himself. "What the heck have I gotten myself into…?"

"Poor guy, he obviously didn't expect a bunch of teen girls trying to rip each other's hair out when he signed up for this gig." Lisa said with a giggle.

"Well, guess I'll go see how good the brat really is." Trista said. She cracked her knuckles and climbed up on the stage where Stacey was already standing in the player one spot. She had a scowl on her face and was tapping her foot impatiently.

"About time Harding. You know, I'm looking forward to this almost as much as creaming your little ring leader." Stacey said with a smirk.

"Please, if you do make it to Becky, she's going to mop the floor with you. But before that, let's see if you can get past me and Lisa. So bring it you bitch!"

"Gladly!" Stacey glowered at Trista briefly before facing the screen.

"Player's ready? Start!" The two girls got off to an even start, playing furiously to beat the other. Becky and the girls cheered their lungs out, trying to encourage Trista the best they could.

"Go Trista! Beat her to a pulp!" Amy called out. Minutes later it was over.

"Winner! Player one!"

"Yes!" Stacey cried out in triumph.

"Damn!" Trista cried out. She left the stage with Stacey shouting several rude insults at her back.

"Tough luck Trista." Sarah said consolingly.

"I let my anger get the better of me, to tell the truth, even if it hadn't she probably would of beaten me. She's good. Still, it burns to lose to her." Trista had a huge scowl on her face. The mc, who seemed to have regained his composure moved back in front of the crowd.

"Well folks we are down to our final four contestants! Which one of these lovely young ladies will take home the grand prize? Let's get started with the first of our two semi-final rounds with Becky Vandom and Jenny Avings! The song is Light Flash!" Becky actually wasn't that worried about Light Flash, she had played it quite often and was very familiar with it. Becky took a deep breath and stepped up to the stage, taking the player two side of the stage.

"Good luck Becky, not that you need it. I know I've got no chance against you." Jenny turned to face the screen and refused to acknowledge Becky's attempts to converse with her. Becky shook her head sadly and focused her attention on the game as well.

"Player's ready? Start!" Both girls leapt into action. Becky was in the zone, hitting every one of her arrows. Like the other rounds she mentally called out the moves. Up, down plus left, down plus right, left plus right, up plus down. When it was over Becky felt really good, she wasn't sure, but she thought…

"Winner! Player two! Perfect game!" Stacey's jaw dropped in shock and disbelief while the girls cheered excitedly. Jenny shook her head with a look of awe on her face.

"Wow, good job. I've been able to get a perfect on this song. I got to say, if anyone can beat Stacey it's you." Jenny walked back to a scowling Stacey who began laying into her. Becky couldn't hear what was being said, but from the look on Jenny's face she could tell it was something very harsh. Becky was overcome with a sense of major guilt.

"I'm sorry Sarah, I didn't mean for that to happen."

"Don't be." Sarah said without taking her eyes off of Jenny being berated by Stacey. "Jenny told me if she made it to the finals she'd have to let Stacey win."

"What!? Damn, that girl plays dirty. Well, if she wants to win, she's going have to earn it." Trista said.

"Which means she's going to have to get by me if she wants to take you on Becky." Lisa said. The mc had already announced the next round. Stacey had once again taken the player one spot.

"This will be quick. You know Sonders I've always wondered why you hang around with such a big group of losers. You're a sports star at school, you could have a lot better friends then them."

"That's what you don't get Stacey. So what if they're not popular? They don't treat people like garbage and they have huge hearts, which is more then I can say for you. So let's get this over with, I doubt I can beat you, but I know Becky will."

"Fine, whatever you say." Becky watched her girlfriend square of against Stacey with baited breath. For awhile it looked like they were evenly matched, but then Stacey began to pull away hitting her arrows with more accuracy. Lisa tried to catch up but it did no good.

"Winner! Player one!" The girls groaned at Stacey's win over Lisa.

"Go join your loser friends, it's where you belong." Stacey said with a smirk.

"You're right, I do belong with them. Though they are the farthest thing from losers possible." Lisa just smiled and walked off which slightly unnerved Stacey. "She's all yours Becky." She said when she got back to the group. Before Becky could respond the mc started speaking again.

"Well folks, this has certainly been an exciting contest! We started with sixteen contestants and now we're down to our two finalists! Stacey Gelding and Becky Vandom! Which one of these two will go home with the one thousand dollar gift card!? Let's find out! Can I have our two finalists up to the stage please?" Becky and Stacey stepped up, Stacey as player one and Becky player two. A pair of spotlights popped on, bathing the girls in twin columns of light. "Good like to the both you. The final song is Blazing Hearts!" Becky looked at her friends, seeing the same shock on their faces that she felt. Blazing Hearts was the hardest song in the Dance Master catalog, none of them had expected to face this song.

"Nervous Vandom? You should be, I'm about to mop the floor with you. I'm going to leave you crying in a heap!"

"You talk a big game Stacey, and I'll admit you're good, really good. But I'm going to give it my all and make sure a jerk like you doesn't win." Becky looked Stacey square in the eye. "I'm not the loser, you are!"

"That's a laugh! You don't have my breeding, my money or my popularity! So how can you be better than me?! I'm going to prove just how inferior you are to me! And I'm going to enjoy every second of it!" Becky didn't want to waste her breath with a comeback, she saved it for the final round.

"Players ready? Start!" The arrows immediately started sliding across the screen at high speed. The two rivals sprang into action. Up, up, up ,up, down, left plus down, right plus up, left, right, left, right, up plus down, left plus right." Sweat began to trickle down the sides of Becky's face. The arrows were coming faster and faster. She wasn't sure how much she could keep this kind of pace up. What was more Stacey was hurling insults at her in an attempt to break her concentration.

"You're nothing! You hear me Vandom!? You're nothing! A piece of garbage! I'm going to beat you silly!" Stacey's words began to eat at her concentration, making her miss a few arrows. If this kept up she was going to lose in no time.

"Don't pay any attention her Becky! You're the best! Take that bratty Cheerleader down!" Lisa's words gave a boost to her girlfriend. Becky rallied back, tuning out Stacey's taunts. Left, down, right, up, down, left, up, right, right, up, left, down, right plus up, down plus left. Becky gave it her all, hitting every arrow as quickly as she could. Stacey became frustrated, screaming at the top of her lungs. Finally it was over, both girls breathing hard to catch their breath. The two rivals watched the screen to see which one of them had won.

"Winner! Player two!" For a mere one second there was a stunned silence that gave way to an ear shattering cheer from the entire crowd. Even the people who didn't know Becky had been rooting for her to win. Lisa was jumping up and down in pure excitement. Chad had a very confused look and Connie was hurling insults at Becky but couldn't be heard over the din. Jenny was clapping and laughing at Becky's amazing win.

"No! No, this can't be! You couldn't have beaten me!" Stacey screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Check the score honey, I beat you by more than fifty thousand points! Maybe if you focused more on playing the game instead of trying insult me you might have done better. So deal with it!" The girls all ran up and embraced their leader in big group hug.

"Congratulations Becky on an amazing win!" The mc said as the crowd began to quiet down. "It's my pleasure to award you with the grand prize! A one thousand dollar gift card good at any store or restaurant here at the mall!" He handed a blue and silver plastic card along with a certificate announcing her winner of the contest.

"I knew you could do it! I just knew it!" Lisa cried out.

"Way to go Becks!" Trista said slapping Becky on the shoulder.

"Way to put Stacey in her place!" Amy said happily.

"I knew you had this contest in the bag!" Sarah cheered.

"Thanks guys, I couldn't have done it without you're support!" Becky said earnestly. "Come on, dinner is on me." Becky turned to face Stacey's group. "Jenny, you're welcome to come with us."

"Yeah! Come with us! You don't have hang around with Stacey!" Sarah said.

"Well, I…" Jenny said hesitantly.

"Jenny…" Stacey said in a warning tone. Jenny looked back and forth between the two groups, unsure what to do. Stacey and company started to walk away and Jenny hung her head sadly and began to follow. Sarah ran up to her and grabbed her hand.

"Don't go with them Jenny! Come with us! Please!' Sarah pleaded with Jenny who looked like she was about to go with them.

"Jenny! Get over here!" Stacey called out in her most shrill voice.

"I'm sorry Sarah, I really am." Jenny said sadly just before she turned and ran off. Stacey began ranting at her the second she got to the cheerleader's group. Sarah hung her head sadly.

"Two for zero. Damn, I thought we had her that time." Trista said.

"We tried, and we'll keep trying until we get her away from Stacey. Right Sarah?" Becky said

"Right." Though she tried to hide it there were tears in the corners of her eyes. "C'mon, I'm hungry." Becky took her friends to the most expensive restaurant in the mall where they all had a good time and celebrated Becky's win over Stacey.

**Well folks there you have it. I will admit I am a little unsure of how this chapter turned out, so please let me know how I did.**

**Preview: In the next chapter I will be starting a two part arc featuring two charecters I have gotten a lot of questions about. I'm not going to say who, but those who have asked know who I'm talking about. Anyways, the girl's seceret is discovered! And some truths that have been long hidden will come to light. But, will those truths bring joy, or a great deal of pain? I've been looking forward to writing these coming chapters for some time, so hopefully I'll won't take so long to write chapter 18! See you next time! **


	18. Chapter 18 Connections Part 1

**Hello, I can happily say I'm back with chapter 18 in a much shorter time then it took me to get the last chapter out. Mostly because I was really looking forward to writing this chapter. So, I would like to thank my reviewers for last chapter, Joe Habana, DayDreamer9, Yellow 14, and XV-Dragon. Keep those reviews coming everyone, nine more and we'll hit the 100 reviews mark!**

So may I present ot you all chapter 18! 

Chapter 18: Connections Part 1

Sarah sat in Sheffield's music room gently strumming the strings of her guitar and humming to herself. School was out for the day and she had the room to herself, which was the way she liked it, especially when she was writing new music. She put her guitar down for a moment to write some notes on the music sheet sitting in front of her. After considering her work for a moment she picked up her guitar and started playing in order to hear how it sounded out loud.

"La, la la laaa." She didn't sing any actual words, since she hadn't written the lyrics yet. After playing through she took a deep breath and put her instrument down, the piece needed some more work, it just wasn't quite right yet and she still had no idea what to write for the words. Normally that sort of thing came easily for her.

"Don't stop playing, that was really pretty." Sarah jumped at the unexpected comment. Looking up she saw Jenny standing in the doorway to the room. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was walking by and I heard you playing."

"It's alright, I kind of lose track of the world around me when I'm working on my music."

"I noticed." Both girls started laughing. After they stopped there was a bit of an awkward moment where the two of them were staring into each other's eyes. Sarah was the first to blink. Using the pretense of striating up her belongings she looked away.

"So how come you're not with Stacey?" She asked as she put her guitar back in its case.

"Oh, she and Connie are at cheerleading practice. I'm just passing time until they're done." Jenny said with a shrug.

"Why do you hang around with them? Seriously, I've never understood it. You're nothing like them. You're such a sweet girl, I don't get why you let them push you around."

"You wouldn't understand." Jenny turned away and looked at the floor and shuffled her feet.

"Try me." Jenny looked up and saw the earnest look in Sarah's eyes and gave in. Taking a deep breath Jenny began to explain.

"Okay, you win. You see, I want to be a cheerleader."

"Come again?" Sarah said in shock, that was the last thing she expected to hear.

"Let me explain. I'm sure you know, but I'm considered something of a nerd around school. Not that they're wrong, I mean I'm a brainiac and good with computers and stuff. I would get picked on all the time. Well I figured if I got on the cheerleading squad I'd become more popular and maybe actually get some friends."

"Jenny…"

"Well, anyways, somehow Stacey found out about my desire to be a cheerleader. She told me if I did exactly as she said, did her homework and stuff like that she would get me on the squad. Well of course I jumped at the chance. It was my only hope, it still is. Ever since I started hanging around with her I don't get picked on anymore!"

"Except by Stacey." The desperation in Jenny's voice pulled at Sarah's heartstrings.

"Yeah, except by Stacey."

"Then why stay with her? You don't need to put that kind of crap! You deserve better than that!"

"And go back to being picked on by everyone? Having no friends? I couldn't deal with that again! It nearly killed me the first time around!" Jenny looked about ready to cry at the mere thought of being picked on again.

"Jenny, it doesn't have to be that way! You wouldn't be alone! You'd have friends, Becky, Lisa, Amy, Trista, me. You'd have us all. We wouldn't let anyone hurt you!"

"Sarah, I, I…"

"Jenny! What the hell are you doing here!? I thought I told you to stay in the locker room and work on that history report due next week!" Sarah frowned at the sudden and unwelcome appearance of Stacey who was still wearing her cheerleader uniform.

"Stacey! I, uh, needed a break, so I took a walk. Your report is almost done, so I…"

"Who said you could take a break!? And what are you doing with her!? She hangs around with that idiot Vandom!" Stacey eyed Sarah with contempt and loathing. "You've been getting too friendly with that gaggle of freaks. I think we're going to have to push your tryout for the squad back a few weeks. Maybe that will teach you where your loyalties lie!"

"But… But Stacey, I've worked so hard on my routine! I've done everything you've asked of me! Please!"

"No! And if you keep being friendly with Vandom's crowd I won't let you try at all! Do I make myself clear!?"

"Y… Yes Stacey. I'm sorry Sarah." With that Jenny turned and ran out of the music room.

"You manipulative bitch! This is a low even for you! I can't believe you treat someone as sweet as her like that! All she wants is to be accepted! You have no intention of letting her becoming a cheerleader, do you!?" Sarah yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Of course not." Stacey was completely unfazed by Sarah's rant. She regarded Sarah coolly with a calculating look in her eye. "Why would I do that? If she joins the squad she won't have a reason to do what I say anymore. And she's too valuable as a lackey to let that happen."

"You! You!" Sarah was so angry she couldn't even form a sentence.

"What's it to you anyways? I know she's all gaga for your music, as crappy as it is, but so what? It's not like you're her friend or anything." Sarah was about to respond when her cell phone rang. Reluctantly she answered it. Stacey strained to hear what was being said but Sarah turned away so she couldn't hear.

"Okay, I'm on my way." She snapped her phone closed and turned back to face Stacey. "Don't think for a second that this is over, because it's not. I'm going to deal with you later, count on it!" With that Sarah stormed out of the room. Stacey just shrugged and walked off. Moments later Jenny walked back, intending to apologize to Sarah. Her shoulders slumped when she saw that she had just missed her. She plopped down into the chair Sarah had just occupied minutes earlier. Jenny's head swirled with several different and very confusing thoughts. Deep down she knew that Stacey was never going to let her put on a cheerleader uniform, but what other choice did she have? It would be suicide to disobey her, Stacey would make her life a living hell. But the truth was she was already in hell. The only bright spot was Sarah.

Thinking of her brought a smile to Jenny's face. Sarah was such a good person, no one had ever tried to help her as much as she had. She never said this to Sarah before of course, but there were a lot of things she had never said to Sarah. Like how she loved her music and signing or how pretty she thought she was or…, well it didn't matter, even if she did tell her it wouldn't do any good. She was about to leave when she spied Sarah's music sheets sitting right where she had left them. Jenny scooped up the sheets and dashed out the door. If she hurried she could catch up to Sarah, return her music sheets to her and give her that apology at the same time.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked when she got to the back of the school where everyone else was waiting.

"I just got word from Kandrakar, Marna left a message for Nella. Seems Logrim is sending a Shoran raiding party to another village. We need to get to Eldrin right now. Chase, Kaz and Nella are already there with Blunk." Becky said.

"Good, I need to blow off some steam. Kicking some lizard ass is just what the doctor ordered." Sarah said in a huff.

"Whoa, who lit a fire under you? You're the calm one." Trista said in surprise.

"Stacey, that's who, I was about to smack her when you called Becky."

"What happened?" Amy asked.

"It's Jenny." Sarah said.

"What about her?" Lisa asked.

"It's a long story, suffice it to say I finally found out why she won't leave Stacey. But there's no time to explain now. Let's just go get this over with. The sooner we beat the bad guys there, the sooner we can get back and I can deal with that damn cheerleader." The girls were more than a little surprised at their friend's attitude. Usually she was the calm and rational one. Becky knew it was because of Stacey's mistreatment of Jenny that had her friend was as riled up. She wished she could take the time to talk things out with Sarah, but they needed to deal with the crisis on Eldrin first.

"Let's do this." Becky pulled out the Heart and held it aloft. "Guardian's unite!" The girls disappeared in the usual light show and reappeared in their Guardian forms. Becky opened a fold and the girls jumped through.

Jenny dashed through the school in an effort to catch up to Sarah. Though she wondered why she would be heading to the back of the school. She had asked a teacher and had been pointed in that direction. She got to the back door and busted through, hoping there was still time to catch Sarah. She heard voices from around the corner, recognizing Sarah and her friends voices she breathed a sigh of relief. As she got closer she slowed down, some of what they were saying sounded strange. Normally she wasn't one to eavesdrop on other people's conversations, but something told her she needed to.

"Word from Kandrakar, Marna left a message for Nella. Seems Logrim is sending a Shoran raiding party to another village. We need to get to Eldrin right now. Chase, Kaz and Nella are already there with Blunk." Jenny was really confused. What the heck was Becky talking about? Kandrakar? Eldrin? And who were these people with the strange names? Now Sarah was talking about kicking lizard ass? For the life of her Jenny couldn't figure out what was going on. Her confusion was momentarily forgotten when Sarah started talking about wanting to slap around Stacey because of the way she treated her, Jenny felt really touched. She had no idea Sarah was that concerned about her. She couldn't believe Sarah cared that much. She turned the corner, ready to thank Sarah for her concern and turn the music sheets over, what she saw caused her to freeze in place.

Everyone's back was turned to her. Becky was holding a glowing pink jewel on a silver chain over her head. Before she could try to make sense of what she was seeing things got even stranger. All five girls disappeared in flashes of multicolored light and reappeared seconds later. Jenny blinked in disbelief, all five girls were wearing pink and purple fairy costumes, complete with fairy wings! What's more they all looked like they were seventeen or eighteen now. Jenny didn't think she could be surprised by anything anymore now, she was wrong. When Becky slashed the air with the glowing jewel thingy and a silvery hole opened up in the air Jenny almost fainted.

Jenny couldn't speak, and even if she could she didn't have the words in her vocabulary express what she was thinking. She finally managed to regain her composure as the girls stepped through the silvery hole. She stared after them wondering what she should do. She was confused and shocked, but she was also curious. Something strange was going on, but she wasn't afraid. Something drew her towards the hole. She hesitantly reached out to touch it, when her fingers passed through she gasped and quickly pulled them back. Looking at her hand she saw no sign of injury, in fact touching the silvery hole actually felt kind of pleasant. If she knew one thing it was that life presented you with truly unique opportunities a very few times, and when it did you had to take advantage of those opportunities when you found them. Her decision made, Jenny stepped through the fold.

"Is this the place?" Amy asked.

"Looks like, at least that looks like the village Chase described to me." Becky said. The five girls were standing in a small copse of trees looking at a small town surrounded by fields of crops.

"Doesn't look like the Shoran have gotten here." Sarah said.

"Looks like we beat them here. Once again Marna's information has paid off." Lisa said with a nod.

"Well where the hell is Kaz and the others?" Trista said with just a hint of concern in her voice.

"I wouldn't worry. Chase said if Logrim's goons hadn't gotten here yet they were going to warn the villagers and evacuate them." Becky said reassuringly. "We should probably go see if they're there. Then we can worry about the Shoran. They shouldn't be hard to spot. It's mostly open space around here. If they're going to come from anywhere it'll be those woods over there." Becky pointed at a much larger stand of trees to the north of their position.

"So who are these Shoran guys exactly?" The girls whipped around to see a very timid looking Jenny standing behind them.

"Ohhhh crap…" Trista muttered.

"J, Jenny!? What!? How!?" Sarah blurted out.

"Sarah, calm down. How did you get here Jenny?" Becky asked.

"I, uh, saw you guys transform and followed you through that hole thingy." Jenny explained.

"Ohh, we are so screwed…" Amy said.

"Did I do something wrong?" Jenny asked in a scared voice.

"It's okay Jenny, we should have taken more care with transforming at school. Don't worry about it, anyone, we can't change things now."

"So, where exactly are we?" Jenny asked, gesturing to the woods around her. "And what's with the fairy getups? How did you transform?"

"That's going to take some explaining Jenny. A lot of explaining. Right now we've got to get you someplace safe. You shouldn't be here, it's dangerous." Sarah said. "Becky, open a fold, we need to get her out of here before the Shoran show up."

"You're right of course, but the question is where to send her. We need to talk to the Oracle and my mom about how to handle this. Jenny, I'm going send you to a place called Kandrakar. When you get there just tell them that you're a friend of ours. They'll take care of you until we get done here."

"Good, fine, whatever. Let's just get her out of here before..." Sarah started to say.

"Attack!" While they had been focused on Jenny the Shoran raiding party had shown up and spotted the Guardians. Now there were bearing down on the girls with bloodlust in their eyes. Becky guessed there had to be at least sixty of them.

"Crap! No time for a battle plan here guys, just beat them back! Sarah! Get Jenny out of here!" Becky took flight with Lisa, Amy and Trista right behind her. They started raining elemental attacks down on the lizard men's heads while Sarah wrapped her arms around Jenny.

"Hold on to me!" She cried out as she took flight. Jenny squealed and did as she was told as she was swept off her feet. Sarah poured on the speed as she headed for the woods where Becky thought the Shoran were going to come from. She weaved her way through the trees finally stopping in a small clearing in the center of the forest.

"I take it those were the Shoran guys you were taking about." Jenny said, thankful to have her feet back on the ground.

"Yeah, that was them." Sarah said trying to look in every direction at once, afraid of being ambushed again.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"I won't go into much detail, but basically we're in another dimension, on a planet called Eldrin. Several months ago this guy named Logrim invaded and took it over, those lizard guys are hired goons that work for him. We're working with the three survivors of the royal family to retake their world. That's the jhist of things anyway."

"Are the others going to be okay?"

"They'll be fine, those scaly jerk are no match for us. We've beaten them dozens of times. And I didn't see any of their leaders, those guys are the real badasses." Sarah began pacing in a circle, still on the lookout for more Shoran soldiers. Distant sounds of battle floated over to their ears. Sarah listened for any telepathic messages from Trista, but nothing came through. A sudden thought crossed her mind and she turned to face Jenny. "So what were you doing at the back of the school anyways?"

"Oh, well, I was looking for you." Jenny blushed and looked away.

"For me? But why?"

"I wanted to give you back these." Jenny reached into her messenger bag and pulled out the music sheets. Sarah took the pages in her hands.

"My music sheets? Where did you get these?"

"I went back to the music room to talk to you and found those just lying there. I didn't want them to get lost, I know how hard you work on your songs."

"How would you know that?" Sarah was deeply touched by Jenny's desire to make sure her work wasn't lost.

"Today wasn't the first time I went to the music room to listen to you play. I love listening to your songs, the music just moves me. Such beautiful music can only come from someone with an equally beautiful soul, at least that's what I believe." Jenny turned an even deeper shade of crimson and turned away.

"Is that why I've seen you following me around school?" Jenny nodded an affirmative to Sarah's question. "Jenny, that's really sweet of you. You didn't need to hide form me you know."

"Well, what do we have here? A lone Guardian with some kid."

"Friv!" Sarah shouted in alarm. She mentally berated herself letting her guard down. Kisarc's second in command was backed by about twenty of his fellow mercenaries. "Jenny, run!"

"But what about you!? I can't just leave you!"

"I'll be fine! Just go!" Jenny refused to listen to Sarah's command to run, she just stood her ground.

"Kill them both! Start with the girl!" Friv shouted. Several of his men raised bows and let their arrows fly.

"NO!" Sarah raised her arms and Jenny was encased in protective rock walls. The arrows buried themselves in the stone. Sarah glared at the lizard men with rage in her eyes. "You will not hurt her!"

"You don't have your friends with you! You can't win by yourself!" The Shoran charged Sarah with pure bloodlust in their hearts.

"I am the Earth Guardian! All of nature and the very ground beneath my feet are my allies!" Sarah pointed at the ground on either side of her and a pair of giant vines popped up out of the earth. She pointed up and four balls of dirt rose up into the air and spread out behind her.

"Those are your weapons!? Mud and weeds!? Don't make me laugh!" Friv joined the charge on Sarah.

"Be careful Sarah!" Jenny called out form her stone shield. She watched helplessly in fear from in between cracks in the walls around her, whishing there was something she could do to help. The vines shot out and slapped several of the Shoran into the air. The dirt balls soared into the thickest knot of lizard men, bowling them over. The vines whipped out again and again while the dirt balls continually replenished themselves to fire into the mercenaries. Yet despite the onslot continued. Arrows flew intermediately at Sarah, a couple of them grazing her arms and legs, drawing blood. Sarah grimaced in pain, but stood her ground and continued to fight back. Soon only one Shoran was left standing.

As Friv drew closer Sarah struck out at him with her vines and dirt balls. He dodged in between the attacks, cutting down vines and smashing the dirt balls with his sword and long knife. When he was within a few feet he jumped into the air, bringing sword to bear with the intention of crushing Sarah's skull. The Earth Guardian thrust her arms forward and two large rock spikes thrust upwards at an angle. Friv shifted his weight and rolled backwards to avoid the strike. He landed in a crouch and instantly charged forward, his weapons outstretched at his sides. More rock spikes burst forth, but he dodged around them. A couple of feet from Sarah Friv swung both his blades to cut Sarah in half. A dirt wall popped up in between his weapons and caught them mid-strike. Friv yanked his weapons free and backpedaled to consider his next move.

Sarah was breathing hard. She was growing weaker from blood loss. However Friv seemed hardly drained. Sarah knew she had to win this quickly or the Shoran warrior would eventually break through her defenses and kill her. During her battle she called out mentally for help, but had received no reply form Trista. Her vision began to grow fuzzy and she wobbled on her feet. She shook it off and stood back up. She would not let Jenny down, even if it ended up costing her life to do so. Jenny saw Sarah's failing strength and began to panic.

"Sarah run! I'm not worth it!" She shouted out. Sarah turned her head and gave Jenny a sad smile.

"It's worth it to me." She said just loud enough for Jenny to hear. Friv took Sarah's faltering energy and brief lapse in attention to finish her off. He gripped his sword in both hands and charged forward.

"Look out!" Jenny yelled. Sarah quickly turned to face Friv. At the last possible second she raised another dirt wall. The last ditch effort to defend herself saved her life, but she did not escape unscathed. The force of the rising wall deflected the sword to one side, but it still penetrated and the blade sunk into the left side of Sarah's stomach. The young Earth Guardian cried out in pain and fell backwards. She gripped her wound as blood poured from in-between her fingers. "No! Sarah!" Jenny cried out when she saw Sarah on the ground. Friv freed his weapon and came around the wall to stand over Sarah's prone form. A wicked smile plastered on his lips. From behind him Sarah could see several of his men getting back on their feet. She turned her face away, she knew she wasn't going to walk away from this.

"I have you now." Friv raised his sword over his head with the tip pointing strait down. Sarah sent out one last telepathic message to Trista.

"Friv is going to finish me. Get to Jenny, save her. I'm sorry guys, I love you all." She closed her eyes and waited to die.

"No one is going to finish you off today!" Sarah looked to the sky in time to see Trista throw a pair of fireballs at Friv. The force of them impacting his chest knocked him off his feet. He roared in frustration as he scrambled back to his feet.

"No! I will not be denied this time!"

"Yes you will!" Becky cried out. She rained lighting down over the area, knocking some of the soldiers who had gotten up back down and zapping Friv. Chase, Kaz and Nella appeared and engaged the remaining Shoran troops. Amy and Lisa landed next to Sarah while Becky and Trista continued to fight off Friv. The continued onslaught of fireballs and lightning bolts finally forced him to retreat.

"Shoran retreat!" He yelled. As he joined his retreating men he could be heard to ranting at the top of his lungs. "I had her! By the black abyss I had her!" With the Shoran in full retreat everyone raced to Sarah's side. Her breathing was labored and her skin had grown pale.

"We've got to get her out of here, she's in real trouble." Amy said in fright.

"Right, I'll open a fold. Lisa, can you pick her up with your powers?' Lisa nodded and lifted Sarah off the ground with a cushion of air. "Trista, Amy, get Jenny out of there." Trista super heated one of the rock walls surrounding Jenny. When it got red hot Amy blasted it with a shot of cold water shattering the rock. Jenny scrambled out, ignoring the cuts and burns she received from the rock fragments. She ran to Sarah's side and took her hand.

"Jenny? Are you alright?" Sarah said. She was barely conscious at this point from the blood loss. She still managed to look Jenny in the face with a smile.

"I'm fine, thanks to you…" Jenny tried to smile, but she broke down and fell across Sarah's chest and started crying. "I'm so sorry Sarah! This is all my fault! If I hadn't followed you all here this never would of happened!" She continued to cry until Sarah reached up and silenced her with one gentle touch.

"It's alright Jenny. All that matters to me is that you're okay. And if anyone was going to find out about us, I'm glad it was you… I… don't regret… this…" With that Sarah's eyes fluttered shut and she passed out.

"Sarah! Sarah, open your eyes! Please!" Jenny cried out. Amy gently pulled her away while Lisa quickly floated Sarah through the fold. "We've got to get her to a doctor! She can't die!"

"She'll be fine. We're taking her to someone who can help her, I promise. C'mon, we've got to go before the Shoran decide to attack again." Amy said as she led Jenny through the fold. Inside the council chamber Sarah was still floating on Lisa's air cushion. Her entire body was encased in yellow-white light as the Oracle used his powers to heal Sarah's wounds.

"Who's that?" Jenny asked.

"I am known as the Oracle. Welcome to Kandrakar." The Oracle stood upright and turned to face Jenny.

"How's Sarah!? Is she going to be okay!?"

"The Earth Guardian's wounds were extensive, but she will be fine. I healed her, but she will need to rest for awhile. My quarters should be more than adequate. Please, follow me."

"Would it be okay if I stayed with her until she wakes up?" Jenny asked.

"Of course." The Oracle said with a bow of his head. When they arrived he noticed Jenny's cuts and burns. He stopped her while Lisa lowered Sarah onto the Oracle's bed. "It seems you're hurt as well."

"Oh, it's nothing. I got a little impatient and this is the result." She said as she looked at the wounds on her hands. "I just wanted to get to Sarah."

"I see, well with your permission I can heal you."

"I don't want to be any trouble."

"It's no problem, please let me help you." Jenny nodded hesitantly and the Oracle placed his hand on her forehead. She gasped as she felt the warm sensation of his magic pass through her body. As soon as it began it was over. She looked at her fully healed wounds in amazement.

"Thank you." Jenny said as she ran to Sarah's side. She was still out cold, but Jenny was relieved to see that she wasn't so pale anymore. She kneeled down and gently stroked Sarah's hair, a move that didn't go unnoticed by Becky and the others.

"You think?" Amy whispered to Trista.

"Maybe." Trista whispered back.

"Let's step out for right now and let Sarah rest. I'm sure Jenny will let us know if anything happens." Becky led the other Guardians out of the room and the Oracle dimmed the lights with a wave of his hand before following the girls.

"So tell me of this young lady who has discovered your secret." The Oracle asked when they left the room.

"I'm sorry, I should have chosen a more discreet location for us to meet, but I was in such a hurry…" The Oracle stopped Becky with one raised hand.

"Please, there is no need to apologize. This is not the first time the secret of the Guardians has been discovered. I only wish to know about your friend."

"Her name is Jenny, though she is not exactly a friend." Becky explained about Jenny's situation and her connection to Stacey.

"I see, so you're saying we may not be able to trust her."

"Well, truthfully I'm not sure. She's not a bad person."

"Well, I have a possible solution, but it is one I hesitate to use. I can erase her memory of what she saw today." There was a look of slight disgust on the Oracle's face.

"Would something like that hurt her?" Amy asked.

"No, but I have a strong dislike of using magic on person without their permission or for anything other than healing. Such an invasion into a person's mind is something that should never be done if it can be helped." The girls looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

Back in the Oracle's room Jenny sat in silence waiting for Sarah to wake up. Inside her head Jenny continued to beat herself up for what had happened. If she had only not gone back to the music room none of this would have happened. Finally she got up and started pacing the room, whishing there was some way to makeup for all the trouble she had caused. She got restless and started walking around the room. The Oracle's room was filled several unusual objects. A clear ball of crystal on a metal stand caught her eye. Once again her curiosity got the better of her and she picked it up. As soon as she picked it up it lit up with a soft blue glow, illuminating the whole room.

"That's really pretty."

"Sarah!" Jenny put the orb down which continued to glow and ran to Sarah's side. "Lie still! Does anything hurt!? Should I get that Oracle guy!?"

"Shh, it's okay, I'm fine Jenny. A little worn out, but that's all. See." Sarah swung her legs off the bed and slowly got to her feet. She started to walk, but she lost her balance. Jenny caught her by the arm and stopped her from falling. For just a moment the two girls locked eyes, unable to look away from each other. Jenny was the first to blink, turning away when the guilt she had been feeling hit her again.

"I'm so sorry, if I had just stayed away." Jenny said sadly. Sarah lifted her chin with a finger.

"But I don't want you stay away. You belong with our group, not that bitch Stacey. I'll tell you something, if I had to do today all over again I would do it in a heartbeat." Jenny started sniffling and crying at Sarah's kind words.

"I was so afraid I was going to lose you. You don't how scared I was watching you fight and totally unable to do anything to help." Jenny wiped the tears from her eyes. Looking at Sarah's smiling face she could feel her heart melting. She had come so close to losing the one person who meant everything to her. Without even thinking about it she did the one thing she had wanted to do for a very long time. She leaned in and kissed Sarah, and to her utter amazement Sarah didn't even hesitate to kiss her back. They were so absorbed in each other they didn't even notice the others walk back into the room.

"Hey Jenny, we need to talk… oh wow." Becky stopped dead in her tracks.

"I knew it… It's about damn time too." Amy said with a triumphant grin, she had always suspected mutual romantic feelings between Sarah and Jenny, but had never voiced her suspicions in case she was wrong. Jenny and Sarah quickly broke apart, while Jenny had a sheepish grin Sarah looked almost pained.

"Well, this sure explains a lot." Trista said.

"Yeah, I guess it does." Jenny turned to face Sarah. "I've never been able to tell you the truth. I've always been too afraid, but after today when I nearly lost you I can't hold it back anymore. I love you Sarah, I always have."

"Jenny, I love you too." Sarah cupped Jenny's face in her hands and kissed her forehead.

"You do!? Oh Sarah you have no idea how happy that makes me!" Jenny's joy quickly vanished when she saw the pained look and the tears on Sarah's face. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"

"I am, I really am. But I can't be with you Jenny. I wish I could, I really do. But it's impossible, I'm not the right person for you." Sarah was freely sobbing now. "No matter how much I want you, it can never be. I'm so sorry Jenny." Sarah pushed past everyone and ran out the door, leaving everyone to wonder how things could have gone so wrong.

**And with that the first part of this two part arc comes to an end. I think I left things at a nice little cliffhanger. Agian, let's get some reviews going. I always appriciate your thoughts and comments, it helps me to be a better writer. Next chapter may take a little longer, since I plan to write a song for Sarah to sing, but I'm not very good at writing song lyrics/poetry so it could take some time.**

**Next chapter: What is the reason Sarah says she can't be with Jenny? Can Jenny be trusted with the secret of the Guardians? And will Jenny and Sarah become a couple? This and more in the next chapter of B.L.A.S.T. , so stay tuned! **


	19. Chapter 19 Connections Part 2

**Welcome back everyone for what (I hope) is the long awaited conclusion to my Sarah and Jenny arc. I honestly thought I would get this up sooner then now, but well as I've learned from doing this things don't always work out the way we want them to. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed after I posted chapter 18. XV-Dragon, DayDreamer9, yellow14, Joe Habana, Kalaria Sword, Jocknerd23, antlan87, ceaseraugusta, mashin-kumori (twice), SerenityNite, BlackRoseFire, and Xx 78 secret converse Xx. Thanks you for all your support everyone, I truly appriciate it. And WOOT! You guys broke the one hundred review mark! **

**So here we go with chapter 19. As always, please leave a review at the end so I know how i did. :)**

Chapter 19: Connections Part 2

"Jenny, I love you too." Sarah cupped Jenny's face in her hands and kissed her forehead.

"You do!? Oh Sarah you have no idea how happy that makes me!" Jenny's joy quickly vanished when she saw the pained look and the tears on Sarah's face. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"

"I am, I really am. But I can't be with you Jenny. I wish I could, I really do. But it's impossible, I'm not the right person for you." Sarah was freely sobbing now. "No matter how much I want you, it can never be. I'm so sorry Jenny." Sarah pushed past everyone and ran out the door, leaving everyone to wonder how things could have gone so wrong.

"What was that all about?" Lisa asked no one in particular. Becky was wondering the same thing, she was about to say something when she saw Jenny standing still in total shock. Becky quickly went over to her and gently touched her shoulder to get her attention.

"It's okay, Jenny. We'll figure this out. You two deserve each other, we all know that and we'll do everything we can to help."

"Thanks Becky, you're a true friend." Jenny said, making Becky smile.

"I'm glad you finally see that. Alright, let's split up and look for Sarah. She couldn't have gotten far." Everyone quickly filed out of the room past the Oracle who had just entered to ask about Sarah. He raised an eyebrow, even more confused than a minute ago when the Earth Guardian had run past him in tears. He looked over to the table where the crystal globe Jenny had picked up earlier sat, still aglow. He walked over to it and studied it with great curiosity.

"Interesting, very interesting." He said. If this meant what he thought it did, then there was more to their guest then anyone had thought. He levitated the ball and the glow slowly vanished. He turned to leave and headed for the council chamber, hopefully the Guardians and their friend would be there, he wanted to confirm his suspicions. After all, it wasn't often a potential new member for the council just walked into Kandrakar.

Becky and Jenny quickly walked through the halls of Kandrakar, trying to locate Sarah. The others had all split off to go find her.

"I'm guessing you're wondering if you can trust me with your secret, that's why you walked back into the Oracle's room when you did, isn't it?" Jenny asked as they jogged along.

"The thought had crossed our minds." Becky said gently.

"It's okay, I would be wondering the same thing if our roles were reversed. You don't have to worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks Jenny, I'm glad we can trust you, and I'm sorry to have doubted you, even for a second. I won't make that mistake again." Becky and Jenny looked at each other and smiled.

"So which way do we go?" Jenny asked when the hallway split.

"You go right, I'll go left. Neither hallway goes anywhere, so just check it out and meet me back here." Jenny nodded and walked off. Becky had chosen which direction she had gone on purpose because she had a feeling that she would find Sarah at the end of her hallway and she wanted to be the first one to approach her. She got to the end of the hall and saw exactly what she expected to see. She was in the garden where they had first trained with their powers months ago. And kneeling atop a small hill was Sarah, crying her heart out. Becky didn't say anything, she just sat down next to her and waited for her to calm down.

"How did you know I'd be here?" Sarah finally asked.

"Wasn't hard, you are the Earth Guardian, we're all tied to our elements in some way. Makes sense you would hide out in a garden." Sarah just nodded at Becky's logic. "Want to tell me about it?"

"Not really. But I'm not going to get away with that, am I?" Becky shook her head no. "I didn't think so. Well, it all comes down to my parents."

"What about them?"

"They're very religious people, they believe that being homosexual is a terrible sin." Sarah looked straight ahead of herself, not seeing anything.

"But you've always told us that you get along really well with your parents, that is when they're in town."

"Exactly, they don't know about me. Their work takes them out of town, sometimes out of the country most of the year. Which has always worked out for me, because if they knew, they would disown me and throw me out of the house. I don't want to lose my family, so I've always keep my true nature buried as deep as I could, even my brother doesn't know. But then Jenny came along, and I felt my heart stir. I made myself believe she didn't feel the same way, but I knew that wasn't true, I saw it in her eyes. I tried to hide my feelings for her, I knew if didn't I'd just end up hurting her, I'm not brave like you and Lisa, I'm afraid of what might happen."

"You know, it's not like everyone in the world knows about me and Lisa. I don't consider us brave. We haven't told her parents, she has the same fears that you do, that they'll hate her. Though I will admit that I don't see that happening." Becky knew exactly what Sarah was experiencing. She had felt the same fears about how Will would react to finding out she was a lesbian.

"But you came out to your mom and us. That was something I couldn't do. Jenny deserves someone who is willing to take risks to be with her. That… that just isn't me." Sarah turned away from Becky crying once more. Becky gripped Sarah's shoulders and forced her to look her in the eye.

"I know you're scared, and I can understand why. But you can't just let her go Sarah. She wants you and you want her. I can see it in both of your eyes."

"But my parents…"

"I'm not saying it's going to be easy for you, but you can't just give up. Take some time, think things through, talk with her."

"I doubt she'll even want to talk to me at this point. Not after what I said. But I will think about it, I promise."

"Good, that's all I ask. Why don't we go find everyone, I think it's time we went home. It's been a really long day." Becky helped Sarah to stand up and they left the garden. She sent a telepathic message to Trista and told her to have everyone gather in the council chamber for the trip home. When they arrived everyone else was already there, including Jenny.

"Hey." She said shyly.

"H, hi…" Sarah said quietly, her face turned away in shame. If she had looked at Jenny she would have seen the hurt look on her face. Becky quickly calmed her by giving her a look that said she would explain later. Jenny got the message and nodded that she understood.

"Well, I guess it's time to go home. I'm just sorry that it's over already. I would have liked to explore this place more." She said.

"I believe that can be arranged." The Oracle said as he walked into the room, the crystal ball still floating above his outstretched hand. "Would you mind touching this ball Jenny? I wish to see something." The Oracle floated the ball over to Jenny who hesitantly reached out and gently brushed it with her fingers. As before, the globe lit up with a light blue glow. A large grin spread across the Oracle's face.

"It did that before. I hope I didn't break it."

"Oh my no. This curious object is called a magi-glam. It only glows like this when someone with magical power touches it."

"What?" Jenny said in complete disbelief.

"My dear, you are a dormant adept. A person with untapped powers. You Jenny have the ability to use magic." Jenny just stared at the Oracle in shock.

"No way!" Amy shouted out. Everyone else exchanged looks of shock and excitement.

"Jenny, that's great!" Sarah said excitedly.

"I would like to extend an offer to teach you Jenny, to help you to learn to control your powers. And, in time if you so wished it, a chance to sit as a member of the Council of Kandrakar." The Oracle said gently.

"You'd really do that for me?" Jenny asked.

"Why yes, part of the Council's job is to find those with talent and help them to learn to use it for the greater good. Plus Lillian would be overjoyed to have someone close to her own age around. She sometimes feels a little alone when she is here being the youngest, though she would never admit it. So what do you say Jenny?" Jenny bit her lip and looked at the others who were all nodding in encouragement. Jenny realized that was another of those rare chances in life, and it was one she knew she had to take.

"I'm in!" She said excitedly. Trista let out a victory shout.

"This is great! Jenny, let me be the first to say it, welcome to team, because you're officially one of us now." Becky held her hand out which Jenny shook.

"It's about damn time!" Amy cried out as she gave Jenny a huge bear hug from behind.

"Hey, take it easy, you're going to crush her." Sarah said with a shake of her head.

"I'm glad you all approve. If you like, we can begin right now." The Oracle said.

"Really? So soon?" Jenny said.

"Well, this isn't really a lesson. This will just awaken your powers in a controlled manner. To let them awake on their own can be dangerous. Ask Cornelia about Lillian's powers activating if you want an example of a worst case scenario." Jenny nodded and the Oracle came up to stand in front of her. "First, I would like you to close your eyes. Now, empty your mind of all thought, let it go blank." Jenny did as the Oracle asked. "Good, now I want you to picture a flame in your mind's eye. Can you see it? Can you feel the heat coming from it?"

"Yes, yes I can." Jenny said quietly.

"Good, now I want you put your hand out palm up. Now, release the flame to your hand." As soon as he said it that a bright blue flame appeared just above Jenny's upturned palm. "Open your eyes Jenny." Jenny gasped at the magical flame floating above her hand.

"I did that?" She asked in awe.

"Yes you did. A simple task. It may seem hard now, but in time it will become second nature to do things like this." Jenny looked at her other hand and a second flame appeared in it. "Excellent! You are a very fast learner I see. I have a feeling you may end up being one of my greatest students." Jenny blushed at the praise. Right then she suddenly stumbled causing everyone to rush to her side before she fell. Sarah was the first to reach her, the two girls looked at each other a moment before Sarah turned away, and she was still feeling guilty over how she had acted in the Oracle's room. "I think that is enough for one day. Go home and rest. When you return we can discuss a schedule for your lessons."

"You won't have to wait long. I promise." Jenny said with an excited smile.

"I am glad to hear it, until we meet again." The Oracle bowed and left the chamber. Becky opened a fold back to Earth and Sarah helped Jenny through.

"Wow that magic stuff sure takes it out of you." Jenny said on the other side. Becky had brought them to the Silver Dragon, not wanting to have someone else discover their secret.

"You'll get used to it. It'll take some practice, but you'll be great at it, I'm sure." Sarah said.

"Is there anything you need from school? We could go and get it if you want." Amy said.

"Nothing I can think of off the top of my head." Jenny gently broke away from Sarah. "Thanks, I'm okay." Again the two of them stared into each other's eyes, and again Sarah looked away.

"I'm sorry Jenny. I want to be with you, I really do. It's just complicated. I need a little time to think things through."

"That's fine, I'm not going anywhere. I'll wait for you." Jenny pulled out Sarah's music sheets from her bag and held them out. "You uh, left these behind again." Sarah took them without saying anything. "I was thinking you should play that at the school talent show Saturday."

"I'm not that good, and I get stage fright real bad." Sarah said.

"You are good Sarah, I believe you could win the whole thing."

"That's what we've been telling her for ages!" Amy said with a shout.

"Well, I better be getting home. I'm sure it's getting late." Jenny said.

"I'll walk you home Jenny." Becky said as she followed Jenny up the stairs. "Hey, why don't we all get together Saturday and go to the talent show, should be fun."

"Yeah, that sounds fun. I guess I'll see you guys then." Jenny said shyly.

"Count on it, now that you're part of the gang we'll be hanging out all the time!" Trista said enthusiastically. Jenny smiled and nodded her head. The others could easily tell she was a lot happier then she had been for a long time. Once outside they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Sarah was glad for the chance to be alone for awhile and gather her thoughts. She was still feeling very torn by her predicament. She loved Jenny with all her heart and it had felt amazing to finally tell her that. Yet she didn't want her parents to reject her. She still didn't have an answer by the time she got home.

"Hey sis." Sarah's older brother Ken was sitting on the couch watching one of his favorite television shows.

"Hi Ken."

"What's wrong?" Ken and Sarah shared a very strong sibling bond. With their parents almost always out of town they relied on each other for just about everything. Sarah wanted to dodge his question, but he would see through any excuse she gave him.

"It's complicated."

"So what?" Ken clicked off the TV and turned to face his sister. Sarah turned her head away and began rubbing her arm with one hand.

"There's this… person I have feelings for, but they're not someone mom and dad would approve of. In fact if they knew about it they'd probably disown me."

"I get it, you want to be with this person, but you're afraid if are everything will fall apart." Sarah just nodded. "Okay, answer me this. Do you love this person? Is your world a brighter place with them in it? Do you feel like you'll die without them?"

"Yes… to all three" Sarah said quietly.

"Then it seems rather obvious to me, you need to risk it or you'll always regret not taking that chance."

"Becky told me something similar."

"Sounds like you've got a pretty wise friend there."

"Yeah, I do. I have really wise brother as well. Thanks Ken."

"Stop it. You're embarrassing me." Sarah started to walk up the stairs to her room, a small smile on her face. "Whoever she is Sarah, go get her. I'll be there for you if things go south with mom and dad." Sarah gawked at her brother in shock. "What? You think I didn't know? Give me a little credit."

"You just have to get the last word in, don't you?" Sarah finally managed to say. Ken just gave her a lopsided grin in response. Up in her room Sarah sat on her bed once again lost in thought. Her cat Onyx climbed onto the bed and curled up next to her. Sarah started to pet him as he began to purr. She stared at the ceiling, not really seeing it. The dilemma she was facing raged in her mind, yet she was no closer to a decision then she had been a few hours ago. Or was she? She pulled out the music sheets that Jenny had gone through so much just so she could give them back to her. The song she hadn't even written lyrics for yet. Well, that was going to change. Sarah had her answer, she put pencil to paper and began writing. It was time she stopped denying herself her the one desire in her heart.

Two days passed and the girls were meeting at the gates of Sheffield to see the talent show. Becky, Amy, and Jenny were standing and talking while they waited for the others.

"So have you started your lessons with the Oracle yet?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, and I've gotten to meet the rest of the council as well. They were very welcoming, especially Lillian, she's really cool. Though I got to say Luba was kind of gruff." Jenny said with a smile. Ever since she joined the gang she had been doing a lot more of that.

"Oh don't mind her. She's kind of a grump, but she doesn't mean anything by it." Becky said. "What have you been learning so far?"

"Well, so far he's been teaching about the different schools of magic, mental exercises to help me summon my powers, I've even gotten to try a few simple spells. It's so incredible, it's still kind of hard to wrap my head around it."

"You'll get used to it. It took some time for us when we first learned about the whole Guardian thing." Lisa said as she and Trista walked up.

"Hey guys, where's Sarah?" Amy asked.

"Don't know. I tried calling her, tell her what time we were meeting, but I just kept getting her voicemail." Trista said with a shrug,

"That's weird. Well we can't wait for her. The show is about to start, we'll save her a seat." Becky said. The girls headed for the auditorium and found some seats in the fifth row. They saved a seat for Sarah next to Jenny, but she hadn't shown up by the time the show started. There were a couple of bands, a few dancers, and a comedian that had the girls laughing their lungs out. There was even a mime that received only polite applause. Then Stacey and Connie came on stage and did a cheerleading dance routine.

"Was it just me, or were those two purposely trying to show off the goods the crowd?" Lisa asked.

"Wasn't just you. That was their plan, to try and win the male half of the crowd over with sex appeal." Jenny said.

"Why am I not surprised? I swear to god that those two are the biggest sluts I have ever met, especially Connie." Trista said with a groan.

"You don't know the half of it." Jenny said. "If I told you some of the stuff I know, you'd probably throw up." Becky made an 'ew' face at Jenny's statement, the others had similar looks of disgust on their faces.

"Well folks, we have one more act tonight, a late last minute entry that I am very excited about." Professor Knickerbocker said from the stage. A couple of stage hands were setting up a barstool and a mike stand behind her. "I am pleased to announce signing a song she wrote herself, Sheffield's own Sarah Childs!" The girl's jaws dropped as Sarah walked onto stage carrying her guitar.

"No way…" Trista said in a very shocked whisper.

"I don't believe it." Becky said as Sarah took a seat on the stool and pulled the mike closer.

"Hi everyone…" She said nervously. "Um, this is a song I finished just recently and I'd like to dedicate it to someone who is very special to me, I'm just sorry I tried to turn you away. If you can forgive me, I'll give you my heart forever." They were a lot of 'ohhs' and 'awws' from the female members of the crowd. Jenny had clapped her hands over her face, knocking her glasses askew. Becky smiled, extremely glad Sarah had finally come around. Sarah adjusted her glasses, started to strum the strings of her guitar and opened her mouth to sing, but she froze. The staring eyes of the crowd frightened her.

"Oh no! Her stage fright!" Amy cried out. Becky quickly looked at Trista who got the idea and opened a telepathic link between her and Sarah.

'Sarah! Get hold of yourself! You can do this!' Becky said.

'I can't! Everyone is staring at me!'

'Yes you can! If you can hold off an entire Shoran squad by yourself in order to save Jenny then you can sing in front of a crowd! Just let it come from your heart and don't worry if they like it or not!' Sarah took a deep breath and let the song flow from within.

_There comes a time when you have to make a choice. There comes a time when you have to choose a path. It may be hard, but who ever said love was easy?_

_I want to form a connection. I want to feel your heart beat next to mine. Come what may, all I can say. Is that I love you._

_I thought that I could hide who I was from the world. But then I met you. I tried saying I didn't feel anything for you. I thought pushing you away was what was best for you._

_I want to form a connection. I want to feel your heart beat next to mine. Come what may, all I can say. Is that I love you._

_Then came the day when you said that I was the one for you. I tried to run, I tried to hide. But that just brought me more pain. That's when I knew, I had to form that connection with you._

_I want to form a connection. I want to feel your heart beat next to mine. Come what may, all I can say. Is that I love you. Oh baby, I love you._

When it was over there the crowd burst into excited cheers and applause. In seconds everyone was on their feet in a standing ovation. Somehow through the hundreds of people there Jenny and Sarah locked eyes. Nothing had to be said. They both knew that from then on nothing would ever tear them apart. Sarah waved to the crowd as she walked off the stage and Knickerbocker came back on.

"Truly wonderful Sarah! Now then! We come to point in our program where we chose a winner! We have ballot stations set up around the auditorium, so please, go and vote for your favorite performer. We'll tally the votes and announce the winner!" Nearly a half an hour later everyone was back in their seats with Knickerbocker on stage with the results of the voting. The contestants were lined up behind her waiting to hear who had won.

"I want to thank everyone who participated tonight, this was truly one of the best talent nights we've ever had!" Knickerbocker opened the envelope in her hand and read the note in her hand. "No surprise here. With ninety-seven percent of the votes going to her, our winner is Sarah Childs!" The girls leapt to their feet and cheered followed by everyone else in the audience. Sarah stood still in utter disbelief. She had joined the talent show with the sole intent of declaring her love for Jenny, she never even considered the possibility of winning. Professor Knickerbocker had to drag Sarah to the front of the stage. The sight of everybody clapping and cheering for her erased the shock on her face and gave way to a slight smile. That smile grew even bigger as she was handed her trophy.

"Go Sarah! You rock girl!" Jenny cried out. The only ones who weren't happy about Sarah's win were Stacey and Connie, who stormed off the stage. At the back of the dressing rooms the girls were waiting for Sarah who was the last one to leave. She and Jenny looked at each other a moment before they embraced and kissed.

"Sarah that was amazing! It's about time you got over your stage fright!" Lisa said.

"I couldn't have done it without you Becky. If you hadn't talked me through it there on the stage, I might never have done it. Thank you."

"No need to thank me Sarah."

"So what took you so long?" Trista asked.

"Oh, well the guys from one of the bands came up to me and started talking to me. Before I knew it they were asking me to be their new lead singer."

"Sarah! That's great! What did you say!?" Jenny said excitedly.

"Well, I didn't commit to anything yet. I'm going to meet with them in a few days at one of their practices, see how we sound together."

"You should so do it! You've got so much talent Sarah, it'd be a shame to let go to waste." Jenny said. Sarah was about to respond when Stacey came storming around the side of the building followed by Connie.

"What the hell are you doing over here!? Didn't I tell you to stop hanging around with Vandom's circle of losers!? And where the hell is my report!?"

"Go do it yourself." Jenny said in a slightly annoyed voice.

"Excuse me!?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Stacey. Let me say it a little more slowly. Go… Do it… Yourself!"

"You better get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness right now! Because if you don't it all ends! No more protection! No chance of ever being a cheerleader! Did you forget you need me!? I'm the only one who looks out for you!"

"Bullshit!" The girls were shocked, they had never heard Jenny swear before and it sounded rather odd coming from someone who was usually so timid. Jenny stormed over and got right in Stacey's face. "You've never looked out for me! All you've ever cared about is what you can use me for! We'll I'm done! I've got real friends now and I don't need you anymore! As for being a cheerleader, well if I can't earn it without your help then I don't want it!" Stacey just flapped her mouth. Jenny just smirked at her and turned around to walk away. Stacey got a look of pure rage on her face. She screamed and shoved Jenny to the ground. Quicker than anyone could of imagined Sarah closed the distance between her and Stacey and delivered a wicked backhanded slap to the cheerleader's face. Stacey stumbled backwards, clutching her cheek.

"How dare you!" Stacey yelled. Both she and Connie moved to attack Sarah, but Becky and the others had already moved forward and stood around the Earth Guardian.

"Try it, please." Trista said. "I'd love an excuse to give you a beat down." Stacey and Connie took a look at the two against one odds and decided discretion was the better part of valor and beat a hasty retreat, but not before Stacey made a parting threat.

"You'll pay for this Jenny! I will make your life a living hell!"

"I'm not scared of you anymore Stacey. Your threats won't work on me." Jenny said with a shake of her head. Stacey growled and ran off.

"Way to go Jenny! You sure put her in her place" Lisa cheered.

"That's for sure. The more people that stand up to her, the better as far as I'm concerned." Becky said.

"You did great!" Sarah said as she hugged Jenny from behind.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys. You showed me what it means to have real friends. Thank you."

"Aww shucks, weren't nothing." Amy said in a fake southern accent, making everyone laugh.

"So are you still going to join the cheer squad?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, I still want to be a cheerleader. I haven't given up on that. Though the reasons have changed somewhat. I want to see the look on Stacey's face when I get on the squad without her help." Again everyone laughed.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm beat. I ready to call it a night." Lisa said.

"Same here." Becky said with a yawn.

"Yeah, I'll see you guys later." Jenny said. She started to leave, but was stopped by a gentle tug on her arm by Sarah. Jenny looked at her questioningly, not sure what was going on.

"Uh, want to come back to my place for awhile. My brother is out on a date with his girlfriend, and uh, we'd have the place to ourselves." Sarah was blushing furiously and couldn't quite look Jenny in the eye. The girls started snickering and left without saying anything, giving the new couple a little privacy.

"Yeah, sure. I'd like that." Jenny said who was now just as red in the face as Sarah. The two of them walked off hand in hand. They didn't talk on the way to Sarah's place. When they arrived Sarah went in first followed by Jenny. Before Sarah could even turn on the hall light Jenny pounced on her. The world melted away as started to make out. They were so lost in each other's embrace that they didn't the sound of a car pulling into the drive way or the voices of two people wondering why the front door was slightly ajar. Only when the lights snapped on did the two girls realize they had been caught in an awkward position. And to Sarah's horror, it was the last two people she wanted to see.

"What the hell is going on here!?" A woman who looked a lot like Sarah cried out.

"Mom, Dad!" Sarah said in a strangled cry of panic.

"Your mother asked you a question young lady." Sarah's father had his hands his hips. Both of Sarah's parents had a look of pure outrage and disgust in their eyes. "You better have a good explanation for this."

"Well, I uh, the thing is." Sarah mumbled. Jenny had no clue what to do. She now fully understood the reason for Sarah's hesitation to get together with her. Sarah's parents looked like they were ready to explode. Jenny slowly got up, thinking to try and smooth things over.

"Hi, we haven't met. My name is Jenny." Both of the adults glared at her, stopping Jenny from saying anything further. Seeing that Jenny was properly cowed they refocused on Sarah.

"Who is this little tramp? Is she the one who talked you into this, this perverseness?" Sarah's mom said angrily.

"She, she didn't talk me into anything. I wanted to kiss her." Both of her parent's jaws dropped. Sarah took a deep breath and continued on. "It's time I came clean. Mom, dad, I'm a lesbian."

"Jenny! How can you say that!? Haven't we always taught you that such a thing is unnatural and a sin against the Lord!?" Sarah's dad screamed in outrage. Her mother took a more direct approach. She stormed up to Sarah who was also standing now and pulled her arm back. Before the slap connected however Jenny leapt in front of Sarah. The blow meant for Sarah connected with Jenny's cheek. It was so violent that it caused Jenny to stumble, her glasses knocked askew.

"Jenny!" Sarah cried out as she went to her girlfriend's side. "How could you!?" She asked in outrage.

"I apologize, I lost my temper and acted in anger." Sarah's mom said in shame. "However, this doesn't change things Sarah. We have no choice but to forbid you from seeing this girl. You need to leave young lady, you are not welcome here. You've led our daughter astray and we…"

"She's not going anywhere." Sarah said, a hint of anger entering her voice. "Haven't you been listing to me? I like girls, I love Jenny, and you can't stop me from seeing her." Sarah looked defiantly at her parents, waiting to see what they would do next. She moved in front of Jenny just in case either one of them decided to lash out again.

"Sarah, think of what you're saying. This kind of relationship is a sin! We can't condone any of this!" Her father said.

"Can't you just accept me for who I am? Can't you love me even though I'm a lesbian?" Sarah said in a pleading tone.

"No, we can't." Sarah's mother wouldn't even look her in the eye when she said it. Sarah gasped, she had been expecting a response like that, but it didn't make it hurt any less. "You can't stay here if you insist in continuing this relationship."

"You… you're kicking me out!?" Sarah stammered out the question in shock and disbelief. Everything she had feared was coming to pass.

"We have no choice. It's for your own good. You can come home when you come to your senses. Until then you need to leave." Her father said in a pained voice.

"But where, where am I supposed to go!? How can you do this to me, I'm your daughter!" Neither of Sarah's parents would look at her. Sarah felt a rage building up inside her at their reaction that wouldn't stay inside. "Fine! If that's how it's going to be, then I'm gone! I'll leave and I won't be back! I'm sorry you're so close-minded. I'll send for my things when I can. Let's go Jenny." Sarah turned and stormed out of the house.

"You two are terrible, I feel sorry for Sarah for having people like you as parents." Jenny said before she followed Sarah out the door.

Ken raced home, driving as fast as it was safe to do. He had been so wrapped up in his date with his girlfriend that he had missed the call from his and Sarah's parents saying they were coming home. He had tried several times to reach his sister on her cell phone to warn her, but she had shut it off. He didn't want to think about what would happen if she was discovered. As he pulled into the driveway he saw that he was too late. Sarah was standing in the middle of the front yard crying into her hands, a girl he assumed to be Jenny had her arms around his sister in attempt to comfort her.

"They found out, didn't they?" Ken asked as he got out of his car. Sarah looked up at her brother, the sight of the pain she was in ripped his heart in two.

"Oh Ken!" She cried as she ran to her brother.

"Shh, it's okay now." He said as he hugged her. "You must be Jenny." Jenny nodded, tears forming in her eyes.

"They were terrible Ken! They kicked me out of the house!"

"I was afraid of something like that." He said with a sigh. "Look, I'll talk to them, get them to see reason."

"No! They'll just kick you out too! Just, just let it go."

"But Sarah! You can't let them do this to you!" Ken said.

"Listen to him, this isn't right!" Jenny said.

"Look, let's just get out of here for right now. Ken, can you take us to Becky's place?" Twenty minutes later Becky answered the knock at the door to find a highly distraught Sarah. Before she could even ask what was wrong Sarah collided with a very confused Becky and began crying into her shoulder.

"Sarah!? What's wrong!?" She looked at Ken and Jenny for answers when none were forthcoming from Sarah.

"Her parents caught us making out and when she refused to renounce her feelings for me they kicked her out of the house!" Jenny exclaimed.

"No!" Becky said in shock. By this time the commotion had caught the attention of Will and Irma who were looking on with worried looks on their faces. Becky led Sarah inside doing her best to calm her friend down. Once they had settled down on the couch Sarah had calmed down enough to relate the tale of what had happened back at her house.

"And then they told me to get out! I couldn't believe it, it was my worst nightmare come true." She said in-between choking sobs. "I don't know what to do now."

"Don't worry Sarah, we'll figure something out." Becky said reassuringly.

"Couldn't you just crash here until they go out of town again? I mean, if they're always out of town how would they know you're there?" Irma asked.

"They have people that check up on us while they're gone, believe me they'll know." Ken said with a growl. "If I know them, they'll have changed the locks before they go. When they say they're going to do something, they do it. Damn it, if I had money I'd rent an apartment."

"Well, if they won't let you back in until you refuse to be a lesbian anymore, why not just tell them what they want to hear?" Irma suggested.

"No, I'm tired of trying to live a lie. It nearly destroyed me before. If they can't accept me as I am, then I'll just have to learn to live with it. The question now is where am I going to live?"

"That's easy." Jenny said as she kneeled in front of Sarah and took her hands in her own. "You'll come live with me and my family."

"What? But won't they ask why I can't live at my house? I don't want the same thing that happened to me to happen to you."

"It won't. For one thing my parents already know I'm a lesbian. They're very open minded and I told them a long time ago about myself and about you. They've wanted to meet you for a long time now. Once I explain the situation to them I'm sure they'll agree to let you move in. We've got more than enough space. There's an empty bedroom right next to mine calling you're name." Jenny said all of this with a sad smile on her face. She hated that it was even necessary to offer a place to live, but was excited by the prospect of living under the same roof as the person she loved.

"Let's not get too carried away here. This is an upsetting situation and emotions are running high right now." Said Will. "I think we all need to stop and calm down some. Now is not the time to make these kinds of decisions. Sarah, why don't you stay here and we'll work things out in the morning when everyone has slightly cooler heads." Everyone agreed, Ken hugged his sister before leaving and Jenny kissed her goodbye, promising to be back first thing in the morning. After getting Sarah settled Becky left her alone, deciding that her friend wasn't really up to talking at that moment. Instead she sent a mental message to Trista about what had happened who then passed it on to Amy and Lisa. Sarah laid on the couch for a long time unable to sleep, she kept going over what had happened in her mind, trying to see if there had been a better way to handle it. But no answer presented itself to her. Finally she drifted off to sleep. Her dreams filled with images of the girl she loved.

The next day Jenny and Ken showed up during breakfast. Ken had tried making his parents see how much they were hurting their only daughter, but they had refused to budge on their position. Sarah was only allowed to return when she renounced being a lesbian. Jenny meanwhile had better news. After she got home the first thing she did was to tell her parents about what had happened and asked if she could live with them. While they were a little hesitant at first they did agree to let Sarah move in.

"That is assuming you want to live with us." Jenny said. Sarah responded with a loving kiss that lasted for over a minute. "I'll take that as a yes." Jenny said, her cheeks bright red. Both sets of parents got together before things were made official however. Becky and the others didn't go with Sarah and Jenny, but by all accounts given to them later things had been rather tense.

"They wouldn't even look at me." Sarah said with a sad shake of her head. "At least they didn't argue about me living with Jenny's family."

"I'm so sorry you're going through this Sarah, it isn't right." Lisa said compassionately.

"It's alright. I made my choice and they made theirs. Hopefully someday they'll come around, but I wouldn't change a thing that's happened." Over the next couple of days everyone pitched in to help move Sarah into her new home.

"Don't be a stranger now." Ken said quietly after the last of Sarah's things had been unloaded. Sarah hugged her big brother fiercely.

"I'll be okay bro. It's not like we'll never see each other again either. Don't blame yourself either. This would have happened sooner or later anyways. We both know that."

"Yeah, I know. Just, call if you need me, okay?"

"As long as you do the same." Jenny came and squeezed Sarah's hand reassuringly as Ken drove away.

"He'll be fine." She said. Sarah smiled and gave her girlfriend a peck on the cheek. Sarah was sad at being forced out of the home she had lived in her entire life, but at the same time glad to be living in the room next to Jenny. The perks of which became very clear that night when Jenny snuck into Sarah's room and didn't leave again until the early hours of the morning so as not to get caught by her parents in a highly embarrassing position. Sarah pretended to be asleep while Jenny crept back to her room. Last night had been the most incredible experience of her life. While she was still hurting by some of the circumstances, she looked forward to sneaking into Jenny's room later that night. Something she figured the both of them would be doing back and forth quite regularly.

**And that will bring a close to chapter 19! I hope you enjoyed it! I must ask forgiveness for the horribleness that was Sarah's song lyrics however. That was my first attempt at writing a song and I don't think I really good job with it. My main goal was to portray Sarah's thoughts and emotions right then. And before anyone asks, yes Sarah and Jenny had sex at the end there. Just making that clear. A kind of last minute additon to my plans for the chapter there, but something I felt was approiate.**

**Preview: With chapter 20 we will be moving into roughtly the last third of the B.L.A.S.T. saga. The gang has a meeting with Marna and go on a mission to spy on Logrim where we'll finally learn more of what he is after on Eldrin! Chase confronts Celia over her betrayl of the royal family. This and more next time, so watch for next chapter of B.L.A.S.T.! **


	20. Chapter 20 The Vault

**Hello to everyone out there. I am happy to say BLAST is back. I know it has been a very long time since I last posted a chapter and all I can say is I am sorry. Hopefully chapter 20 here is worth the wait. Frankly it turned out to be MUCH longer then I thought it was going to be. In fact it's the second longest chapter I've posted to date. **

**I would like to thank the following people who left reviews for chapter 19. Yellow14, SerenityNite, XV-Dragon, BlackRoseFire, IndigoHeart, Tategami-Ryo, Fallenangel2011, NightOfTheFullMoon and Danny. Thank you all for your input. I truly do appreciate it. So then without any further ado, I give you chapter 20. **

Chapter 20: The Vault

"Are you sure of your findings Pelth?" Logrim asked with a scowl. It was late at night and the evil warlord was holding a meeting in his quarter's which had belonged to the king. Kisarc was leaning back against a wall while Celia sat in a chair in the corner, slightly concealed in the shadows.

"Quite sure my lord. There are no records or stories of the object we seek. This leads me to believe one of three possibilities." The old wizard said calmly.

"Which are…?" Logrim said with some impatience.

"One: The item in question was never here to begin with, or if it was it has since been removed from this world. However I highly doubt that. All evidence points to it coming here and there has been no trace of it anywhere else. There is no question in my mind that is here."

"It had best be. I would hate to think we have been wasting our time here."

"Two: The royal family knew what we are after and destroyed any record of it before we took the castle and the people are hiding the truth from us. Again I do not believe this to be the case. Our questioning has been quite thorough. If they knew anything at least one of them would have cracked."

"Which means they have absolutely no idea about this mysterious object you're so desperate to find." Kisarc said in a half laugh, half growl of amusement.

"Which leads to possibility number three, the only one I find plausible. That our target arrived here so long ago that it predates any of the current records or legends. If you remember my lord that when I first traced the objects path I estimated it had arrived here some thousand years ago, obviously I underestimated the amount of time that had passed."

"So where do we go from here?"

"I am still of the belief that such an object of great power would not go unnoticed and would have been found. So what we need to do is start searching the oldest and most ancient sites and buildings on Eldrin, no matter how obscure. And I suggest we start with one of the oldest, which happens to rest underneath this very castle."

"You don't mean..?" Kisarc began to say.

"Yes, the royal vault." Pelth said with a nod. Logrim looked towards Celia who had been very quiet during the entire meeting. He stiffened when he saw her staring blankly into space, her eyes having a distant look to them. He knew that look, she was having a vision.

"What did you see girl?" He asked sternly when she came out of her trance. "Do you know where it is?"

"The object you seek is hidden in an olden place, as old as the earth that surrounds it. A place that none venture, a place that is dark yet that glows. It is here in this olden place that all things will end." Celia said calmly, looking almost relieved, but what about no one could guess.

"Does this sound like the royal vault?" Kisarc asked no one in particular.

"Possibly, the vault is very ancient and it's underground and no one goes there. But the part about it being dark yet glows is confusing." Pelth said.

"It matters not. We now know that we are on the right track, even if isn't there, we now have a place and a frame of reference to start searching." Logrim got up from the chair he was sitting in. "Kisarc, gather your elite and your best squads. I will do the same among my men. Tomorrow we start the search." Marna watched from the secret passage, trying to control her breathing and not daring to move in fear of giving herself away. Only when everyone had left the room did she dare to move. She hurried along to the lower chamber. As she dashed through the hidden passages of the castle she thanked her lucky stars that she had a meeting with Nella in just a few minutes. The Guardians needed to know what was going on as quickly as possible.

Two weeks had passed since Sarah and Jenny had become a couple and things were going well for them. Sarah had settled in well at Jenny's house and was getting on famously with her girlfriend's parents. Like Becky and Lisa they had decided to keep their relationship private from the general populace at school even though they no longer had to fear of repercussions from Sarah's parents. She had also finally gotten over her stage fright for good and had even joined Mirror Vision, the band that had invited her to become their new lead singer after the talent show.

It was a warm June Saturday afternoon and Becky, Amy and Lisa were heading to meet the others at Sarah's band practice. Which was held at the guitarist's house, a guy named Josh. As they approached the garage they could see that they had missed the practice as the other members of the band were already leaving. Trista was standing in the driveway talking to Sarah and Jenny.

"Hey guys!" Lisa called out.

"Oh hey! You guys just missed the practice. You should have heard them together, they sound great." Jenny said.

"I got to admit it went well." Sarah said with a blush.

"Oh now there's an understatement if I ever heard one." Jenny said with a laugh. "I really think there's some potential for you guys as a group!"

"I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it is nice to dream." Sarah said with a shrug. With that the girls left, on the way to the mall the discussion turned to how things were working out for Sarah living with Jenny's family. While Sarah was fitting in with Jenny's family she did have one embarrassing story share.

"Her mom caught you coming out of her room?!" Amy belted out at the top of her lungs.

"You can't believe how embarrassed I was. I don't think there was an inch of myself that hadn't turned red." Sarah said with a shake of her head. "The worst part was she didn't even say anything. She just had this knowing grin on her face!"

"You think that's bad!?" Jenny shot back. "Mom came up to me and said we didn't need to sneak into each other's room and then asked if we wanted to just move into one room together!" Everyone else just stared at Jenny and Sarah, unable to believe what they were hearing.

"No offense Jen, but what are your folks smoking?" Trista said.

"Sometimes I wonder." Jenny said.

"What did you tell her?" Lisa asked. Both Sarah and Jenny turned a deep crimson. "Okay, guess that answers my question." Lisa blushed slightly. Deciding that enough had been said on that particular subject they turned the discussion to the end of the school year in a few days and the beginning of summer break.

"Oh I can't wait to get away from Knickerbocker and the teachers!' Trista blurted out.

"You just want avoid getting anymore detentions!" Amy shot back. Trista just grinned and tried to look innocent which didn't work to well.

"We should so plan to take a day trip to the beach this summer." Sarah said.

"Oh great idea! We should take Chase, Kaz and Nella with us to!" Lisa said. Just as they were begging to plan the trip out Becky's cell phone began to ring. She answered it and quickly got a serious look on her face.

"We got work to do girls." Becky said after she hung up. "That was my mom. We need to get to Kandrakar as soon as possible."

"What's up?" Amy asked.

"Mom didn't say, but it sounded urgent."

"Well you guys better getting going then." Jenny said. "I'll see you at home Sarah."

"Hunh? What are you talking about? You think we'd leave you behind? We told you, you're part of the team, while we can't take you with us to Eldrin, you're more than welcome to join us on Kandrakar." Becky said. "We stick together. So let's get going." Jenny blushed and nodded. They found an empty alley and Becky opened a fold. They were met by Halinor who took them to the council chamber. Will was there as well as the rest of W.I.T.C.H., Cornelia, now seven months pregnant, was sitting on one of the benches next to Caleb. Chase, Kaz were standing to one side with Nella standing in the center of the room.

"Greetings Guardians, thank you for getting here so quickly." The Oracle said. He was about to continue when he noticed Jenny trying to hide in a shadowy corner. "Please, Jenny, take a seat here with the rest of council, there is no need to be shy. You are welcome to join us." Jenny once again blushed and sat down next to Lillian when she waved her over.

"Now then, on to the purpose of this meeting. Nella has word from Marna about Logrim's next move. I will let her fill you in on the details." The Oracle said with a nod towards the young princess.

"I had on one of my regular meetings with Marna last night, good thing to because we don't have much time. We've known for some time that Logrim has been looking for something, we just haven't known what." Nella said with a shrug. "We also know that he's been taking people captive and torturing them in an effort to find it. The questions have always been about our legends and myths. Well it looks like he's given up on that tactic."

"Why now?" Amy asked.

"He's not getting the answers he needs. From what Marna told me they think what they've been looking for has been on Eldrin a very long time, thousands of years. Which explains all the questions about our stories."

"They thought they could find it by finding clues in your legends." Becky said quickly.

"But wait, shouldn't that tell us what they're looking for as well?" Sarah said.

"I wish, but they're questions have been so vague we have no idea what they're trying to find." Chase said, throwing his arms up in frustration.

"So Logrim has given up on extracting the information, so what's he doing now?" Becky asked.

"He's decided to search for it." Nella said. "And the first place he's decided to look is the royal vault."

"Royal vault?" Sarah asked.

"It lies beneath the castle, it's been there even before it was built no one ever really goes there anymore." Kaz said. "I've been in there only once or twice. It's massive, I can't even begin to describe what it's like."

"What's in there? Money? Jewels?" Becky asked.

"Yes to both. But if that's what Logrim was after he would have raided it when he first took over. Besides riches there are many ancient artifacts housed there. Objects our ancestors gathered either because they were historic relics, or items that needed to be kept out of the wrong hands. At least that's what the stories say. Like my brother said, no one really goes in there."

"So how do you get in? I can't imagine you can waltz right in." Trista said.

"You need a special key to get in. A key that Logrim has." Chase said gravely. "The king's crown. My father was wearing it when he was killed. You have to insert into a slot in the door."

"Great. So how do we get in? Logrim isn't going to leave the door unguarded and I don't think we want to make a bunch of noise. Not if we're going to find out what he's after."

"We're in luck. There's a second entrance hidden the main one. We'll have to be careful, but should be able to slip in unnoticed." Chase said.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Becky said as she pulled the Heart out. "Guardians unite!" The usual light show accompanied their transformation into their Guardian forms. Will, Irma, Taranee and Hay Lin checked to make sure their weapons were ready and Caleb kissed Cornelia goodbye. The royal siblings gathered together and Jenny walked up to the girls.

"Be careful out there you guys." She said as she gave Sarah a peck on the cheek.

"Don't worry, we always are." Becky said reassuringly.

A few minutes later everyone was crouched behind some thick brush. Becky had been concerned about bringing such a large group on what was supposed to be a stealth mission, but upon seeing how large of a force Logrim had brought with him she was glad they had as many people as they did. She and Chase were watching the entrance to the vault. The door was massive, a giant round stone with strange letters carved into its surface. The road leading up to it was a wide hard packed dirt path which was currently packed with a couple hundred of Logrim's men and Shoran. Standing in front of the door was Logrim with his lieutenants. Kisarc, Friv, and the elite Shoran. Gar was there as well and Pelth. And so was a blue haired woman in a white robe that Becky didn't recognize.

"I don't believe it, it's Celia." Chase said in disbelief.

"That's her? The one who let Logrim's forces into the castle?" Becky asked. For some reason Becky had always pictured Celia as some cold, calculating monster. Not the beautiful young woman she was looking at. There was such sadness in her emerald green eyes that it was hard not to feel sorry for her. Something wasn't right in Becky's mind. She knew looks could be deceiving. After all Stacey was one of the prettiest girls in school and she was a total bitch. But she didn't get the same vibe from Celia that she got from Stacey.

"Chase, are you sure she betrayed you guys? I just don't see it. She just seems, so, well sweet." Becky asked.

"I had trouble believing it at first myself." Chase said sadly. "But I had word of her betrayal from at least a dozen different soldiers who witnessed it happen. Men I've known and trained beside for years." Becky could see the intense pain on the Chase's face. She searched for the words to comfort him, but came up blank. "Come on, let's go. She doesn't matter right now, we've got a job to do." With that he turned and went back to the others. Becky hesitated for minute before returning herself.

"What's up with Chase and the others?" Lisa asked. Becky looked over to where Chase was talking to his younger siblings. Kaz looked troubled and Nella had a huge scowl on her face. Becky shook her head and quickly explained the situation to the others. Before anyone could say anything Chase walked over.

"Alright, the entrance is hidden in the cliff face above the main entrance to the left there." He said pointing to a rock outcropping about thirty feet up.

"Okay, how do we get up there without being seen?" Becky asked.

"You can't see it from here, but there's a recessed path that goes all the way up. We should be out of sight of Logrim and his men till we get to the landing. That'll be the tricky part. We'll have to move quickly if we want to get in without being seen. As long as no one looks up we'll be fine."

"How do we open the door? Is it locked like the main entrance?" Will asked.

"There's a trick to opening it. I can unlock it, but it will take a few seconds." Chase explained.

"Alright, we'll head up there and wait for the main group to move inside. Chase, explain how to open the door to Lisa. She can turn invisible, that will make it a little safer to open the door. Lead the way." Chase led them away from the road and farther back into the brush. When they got to the path Becky understood why it couldn't be seen from the main road. A rock wall that blended perfectly into the side of cliff face hid the path from view. From the look of it, it had been carved out naturally from centuries of rain and wind.

When they reached the top chase held up his hand to stop everyone. Everyone peered through cracks in the rock wall. From their vantage point they watched as Logrim inserted a silver crown into a round depression in the surface of the stone door. Almost immediately the door began to rumble and some unseen force or mechanism rolled the door out of the way.

"Wow…" Hay Lin said in a whisper. They watched as Logrim led his forces inside leaving a couple of squads of Shoran outside to guard the entrance. Becky nodded at Lisa who vanished. The only signs of her movement were small puffs of dust marking where she stepped. Like the path up, the door blended into the rock. Tension filled the air as everyone waited for Lisa to finish opening the entrance. After what seemed like an eternity a section of rock no bigger than a doorway shifted backwards a few inches and slid away. Thankfully it was completely silent. Using hand gestures Becky directed everyone through in groups of twos and threes till she was the only one left. With one last glance at the Shoran guards below, she dashed into the doorway. Once inside Chase flipped a lever and the door slid shut closed just as quietly as it had opened.

"Follow me." Chase said in a hushed voice. He led them into a tunnel that descended into the vault. When they emerged several of them gasped in awe. Just as Chase had described the vault was massive. Gigantic mounds of triangular silver coins exactly like ones Lisa had found on their first visit to Eldrin were spread out all over the place. Mixed in with the coins was the odd jewel here and there. Carved pillars seemed to be growing out of some of the piles. The cavernous room seemed stretch forever back into the darkness.

"Wow, this place is huge…" Amy said in awe.

"Dang, I knew you guys were royalty, but I didn't know you were this loaded." Trista said to Kaz.

"It's not like we use it. It just sits here, though we do dip into it for public works projects and stuff like that." Kaz replied.

"Keep it down, sound can travel real easy in here." Chase said. "This way, and try not to disturb the coin piles, it'll be a dead giveaway." Chase led them through a winding path in between the coin piles. Becky quickly realized Chase wasn't kidding about sound traveling. She could make out voices coming from ahead of them, even though she couldn't see anyone. Chase held his finger to his lips and stalked forward in a crouch. Everyone followed suit, as they got closer the voices became more distinct. They came to an open space behind two rather large piles of coins. Chase, Will, and Becky moved to the gap between the two piles and peered out at Logrim addressing his troops.

"Spread out and start digging!" He yelled. "You have the description of the object! Leave no stone unturned! I promise vast riches to the man who finds it and brings it to me!" The assembled troops gave a roaring cheer and dashed off into the deeper reaches of the vault. Only Kisarc and his officers stayed behind.

"I must say, I'm a bit confused over all this fuss over one small gem." The Shoran leader said.

"You don't need to understand Kisarc." Logrim said. "You only need to find it." Kisarc just shrugged and walked off followed by his men. Only Logrim, Pelth, Celia and Gar remained behind.

"Are you sure we can trust him and his men with this task?" Pelth asked. "He is a mercenary my lord."

"Yes, but a mercenary with a sense of honor. He won't betray us unless he thinks we've betrayed him." Logrim said with a harsh laugh. "My only concern is that this may be a waste of time. We have no way of knowing if the Demon's Heart is even in here."

Logrim and Pelth kept talking, but Becky was no longer listening. She gave Chase a questioning look, but he just shrugged and shook his head. He had no clue what Logrim was talking about either. Will was equally clueless. They moved back and relayed to the others what they had overheard.

"Okay, we've done what we came to do. We need to tell the Oracle about this, maybe he'll know what Logrim is talking about." Becky said. They began to sneak away, but unfortunately Hay Lin had a klutz moment and tripped. She waved her arms trying to regain her balance to no avail. She fell forward into a coin pile. There was a great clinking sound as an avalanche of coins came sliding down.

"Only Hay Lin…" Irma groaned as Taranee helped the former Air Guardian to her feet.

"It's the Guardians!" Pelth cried out. He shot a dark green energy blast from the end of his staff. He was off target and hit a coin pile which exploded, raining coins down on the team. Gar drew a pair of daggers and leapt into the middle of the group just as Pelth fired another magic blast, sending an explosion of rock from the floor into the air.

"Get to the entrance!" Chase cried out as he parried a set of blows from Gar. The noise of the fight drew Logrim's troops back and they began popping out to attack.

"Scatter!" Becky cried out. Pelth continued to fire spell after spell at the group. Harried from several directions at once everyone broke off into smaller groups to avoid their foes. Teams of two and three spread out in several directions at once, making it harder for Logrim's forces to pin them down.

Becky and Lisa flew low the ground, dodging in between the pillars and coin piles. They blasted groups of Logrim's men and Shoran with lightning bolts and wind blasts. Pelth popped out from nowhere and fired more spells from the end of his staff at the two Guardians. One caught Becky and knocked her backwards out of the air.

"Becky!" Lisa cried out. She used a mini whirlwind to catch Becky before she hit the ground. She then used a wind blast to blow a bunch of coins at Pelth. The wizard threw up a magical barrier to protect himself. In that instant Lisa grabbed Becky and flew off before Pelth could resume his attack.

"Run all you like, there is nowhere to go Guardians! You die here!" Pelth cried out, his curse echoing in the vast cavern.

Will, Irma, Taranee and Hay Lin had managed to quickly join up after the initial scattering and were fighting their way through several of Logrim's troops. Hay Lin led the way, her staff spinning before her and clearing a path. Irma and Will came next watching their flanks to make sure they didn't get surrounded and Taranee brought up the rear, watching their backs.

"We got to lose these guys! We can't lead them back to the tunnel!" Will shouted to the others.

"Easier said than done!" Taranee cried out as she brained one of Logrim's goons with her mace.

"Hey doesn't this remind of the time we snuck into that underground prison to rescue Caleb's and Aldarn's dads?" Hay Lin jabbed a Shoran in the gut before whipping the end of her staff up into the unlucky lizard man's jaw.

"Now is not the time to reminiscing about the good all days Hay Lin!" Irma shouted as she parried a blow. "Besides, it's not like I can flood this place like I did back then!" Will was about to add her own two cents when she heard the sound of crumbling rock coming from above. She looked up to see Gar clinging to the ceiling.

"Above us!" She cried out as the insectoid assassin pounced, a pair of barbed daggers in his hands. Will and the others scattered as he fell. Gar landed hard and Taranee charged at him, intending to strike him with her mace. Gar blocked her blow with his blades and kicked her legs out from under her. The fall knocked the wind out of her and Gar raised her knives, intended to plunge them into Taranee's chest.

"Taranee no!" Hay Lin cried out. The Asian woman charged at Gar with her staff. He spun around the strike and backhanded her in the face with the flat of his blade, the barbs drawing blood from her cheek. Irma cried out in rage at seeing her best friend injured. The former water Guardian swung her short sword. Gar jumped up and delivered a fierce kick to her chest. Irma stumbled back and before she could recover she was hit by a roundhouse kick to the side of her head. Will stood her ground and raised her dual knives in a defensive stance, not daring to take her eyes off her foe to check on her downed friends.

"Do you really think you can take me on all by yourself?" Gar hissed at Will in his gravelly voice.

"Only one way to find out." They both struck at the same time, their blades singing the song of steel striking steel. Will dropped and tried to knock Gar down with a leg sweep, but the wily assassin jumped over the blow. He raised his blades intending to impale Will as he came back down, but she quickly rolled out of the way. His knives clanged against the floor and leapt back up to meet Will's next attack. The two fighters danced around each other, trading blows and looking for an opening that would let them win the battle. Will slipped on some loose coins and Gar lashed out and left a nasty slash on Will's arm. She cried out in pain and stumbled back, clasping a hand over her wound. Gar pulled his arm back and flung one of his knives at Will, confident in a kill. Only it never struck home. Hay Lin jumped in the way and deflected the blade with a single swipe of her staff. Irma and Taranee quickly moved to up on either side of her. Will moved to rejoin her friends and all four of them stared Gar down.

"Is this supposed to intimidate me?" He said with a mocking laugh. He launched forward with a roar, brandishing his remaining blade. He didn't last long against the combined forces of the four former Guardians. Hay Lin nailed him in the solar plexus with her staff followed by Taranee hitting him with her mace. Irma hit him across the back with the flat of her sword and Will finished it with a jump kick to the face. Gar landed hard and didn't get back up.

"Guess you should have been intimidated jackass." Irma said to Gar's unconscious form.

"We better get out of here." Will said while Taranee hastily bandaged her arm. After making sure the cuts to Hay Lin's cheek wasn't serious the four of them headed for the hidden entrance, hoping the others had managed to make there unharmed.

Trista ran along with Kaz, not wanting to outdistance him by flying. When everyone had split up she had tried to go off on her own, but Kaz had followed her., much to her annoyance. So far their flight to where the group had entered the vault had gone unhampered, and it was making Trista very nervous. Kaz had tried talking to her, but she had quieted him, not wanted to get distracted. She had an idea what he wanted to say anyways and didn't want to deal with it. She had an idea what he wanted to say anyways and didn't want to deal with it.

"This isn't right. We should have been attacked by now." She said finally.

"I know it doesn't make any sense. Even if they did lose us they should have caught up to us or something." Something registered in Trista's senses and she held out her arm to stop the prince. "What is it?"

"Shh!" Trista looked around. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up, as if she was being watched. A brief blur of movement off to her left registered in her peripheral vision. It was so fast she wasn't even sure she had really seen it. But when it happened again to her right and closer she realized what was going on. She closed her eyes and focused her senses, like she had been taught by her sensei. Her eyes snapped open and she shoved Kaz out of the way and fell backwards. A pair of daggers flashed through the air where their necks had been a mere second before.

"What!?" Kaz cried out as he hit the ground. Terak, the ninja Shoran Trista had faced off against back at the old fort months ago spun around and faced the pair. He had a wicked grin on his face as he spun his daggers once and stared down Trista.

"I've been hoping to run into you two again." He said in a low hiss. "This time you won't escape me."

"Yeah. Sure. I beat you once, I'll do it again." Terak's eyes flicked to Trista's right and she knew he was planning to target Kaz. Her stomach lurched in fear. Kaz was good, but he was no match for Terak. The young prince had managed to hold off the nimble little Shoran, but just barely. The lizard man smirked and leapt into action. He once again used his incredible speed to create the mirror images of himself, creating the illusion that they were surrounded and outnumbered. Trista was ready for the move this time.

"This trick again?" She yelled. Trista raised her arms and closed her eyes in concentration. A dome of flames surrounded her and Kaz. She flung her arms out and the wall of fire exploded outwards and blasted through the fake images and blasted the real Terak out of the air. He fell hard into a coin pile.

"Nice one Trista!" Kaz said. Trista turned to reply and consequently she didn't see that their foe was down, but not out. Terak pounced, intending to bury his blades in Trista's heart. He was fast, but Kaz was a second faster. He shoved Trista out of the way and took the blow meant for her. The two collided and fell in a heap on the floor.

"No!" She cried out in fear. The two wrestled on the floor for a moment when Terak managed to roll on top of Kaz and raised his knife. Trista blasted him with a pair of fireballs, knocking him away. Terak slid across the floor, out cold. The young prince got to his feet and stumbled over to Trista. He had had the wind knocked out of him, but otherwise unharmed.

"Thanks." He said.

"You big dummy! What were you thinking!?" Trista hit him hard on the arm.

"I was thinking I was saving the woman I love!" He cried out in frustration. Trista was taken aback and took a step back from Kaz.

"No Kaz, listen, don't say that, I'm not…"

"No, you listen Trista." Kaz took hold of her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. He was tired of beating around the bush with her. It was time he made his feelings for her clear. "I love you. I fell for you the second we met. Ever since then my feelings for you have just grown stronger. I never want to be without you!"

"But, but Kaz you're a prin…"

"So what if I'm a prince?! You say I need some regal lady? Bull! I know what kind of woman I want! I LIKE a girl who can put up a fight! Who is isn't afraid to be herself! Those silly little ladies in their frilly gowns bore me to death! You keep things interesting! I'd choose you over them in a heartbeat! You think I need a princess? YOU are my princess Trista!"

For the first time in her life Trista was speechless. She looked into Kaz's eyes and saw his love for her there. Never in a million years did she think that she could ever find a guy who would love her for who she was, yet here he was. Before she even realized what she was doing she was pulling Kaz in and kissing him for all she was worth.

"I love you Kaz." She said in a choked up whisper. "I never should have thought I wasn't good enough for you. Forgive me?"

"Always." Kaz said. "We better get out of here." As they ran past Terak's unconscious form Trista paused when she saw a piece of parchment sticking out of his pocket.

"What do we have here?" She said as she took it from him. On it was a drawing, of what Trista couldn't be sure. It was hard to tell in the dim light of the vault. "Kaz, you don't think this is what their looking for?" She looked up, but Kaz wasn't there. She called out for him and he came trotting back from around a corner.

"Sorry, I was looking for something."

"Don't do that!" She again hit him on the arm. He winced in pain. "What did you go looking for?"

"I'll tell you later. We need to meet up with everyone else." He took her by the hand and pulled her after him. Despite the situation both of them felt happier than they had ever felt in their lives.

Amy, Sarah, and Caleb hadn't gotten far when they were set upon by Kisarc and Friv. Caleb was engaged in one on one combat with Friv. The two exchanged furious blows, their swords echoing loudly in the massive cavern. Both were experienced warriors and neither had been able to gain an edge to win the fight.

Meanwhile Amy and Sarah were taking on Kisarc. The Shoran leader moved with a speed that didn't seem possible with his massive size. It was all the two Guardians could do to stay out of his range of his massive axe while hitting him with their powers.

"We've got to get out of here!" Amy cried out.

"Easier said than done!" Caleb grunted as he parried a sword strike from Friv.

"None of you are leaving!" Friv yelled. He looked at Sarah. "And when I'm done here I'm going to track down your little friend and finish her off as well!" Friv meant to unnerve Sarah. He only managed to piss her off. Her face contorted into a silent growl. She ripped an entire pillar free from the ceiling and floor, coins and gems flew through the air.

"Caleb get down!" She cried out. Caleb didn't ask questions and hit the floor. Sarah used her powers to swing the pillar like a bat and swatted Friv like a fly, sending flying off into the dark. Kisarc's jaw dropped, along with Amy's and Caleb's.

"No one threatens Jenny and gets away with it!"

Kisarc let out a roar and charged at Sarah from behind. Caleb leapt up from the floor and slammed into the enraged Shoran. Kisarc rolled over Caleb's shoulder and hit the ground. He stood up, but Amy and Sarah were ready for him. Sarah exposed the dirt beneath the stone floor and Amy flooded the area with water, turning the ground into thick mud. Sarah swirled the mud and Kisarc sunk into the ground up to his shoulders. He tried to free himself, but Amy pulled all the water out, trapping the lizard man in a solid mass of dirt. He screamed in frustration as he tried to break free. With their foes incapacitated the three of them made their escape.

Nella was in trouble. She had been separated from everyone else and arrows shot by Chirin sailed past her as she tried to get away from the archer Shoran. So far he had been missing, but his shots were getting closer and closer by the second. She scrambled to find a solution to the problem. She couldn't turn to face him. Her enemy had the clear advantage with his ranged weapon and her armed with only her spear. Somehow she had to lose him just long enough so she could get behind him to take him down. But she just couldn't seem to shake him. She was just thinking of facing him, no matter how suicidal it was when the answer to her predicament presented itself.

A large stack of wooden crates stood to one side of the pat she was heading down. A plan flashed into her mind and she acted. As she ran past the crates she lashed out with her spear, shattering the ancient boxes on the bottom of the pile. It teetered for a moment before the whole thing came crashing down. Chirin skidded to a halt just in front of where the tower of wood had fallen. He covered his head with his arms and backed away. He was coughing and waving away the dust when Nella struck. Her plan had worked perfectly, the distraction caused by the falling crates had given her the opportunity she needed. She leapt from the top of the collapsed boxes and planted both of her feet in the still sputtering Chirin's face. Her boots made a sickening thud as the connected and the Shoran archer crumpled.

"Gotcha, you asshole." She said in between gasps of breath. The run from her foe had left her winded. She was just about to push herself up from the floor when a roar from behind the fallen crates stopped her. The wall of debris exploded outward and it was Nella's turn to cover her head. When she looked up Izaran, the berserker stood in the middle of the hole in the wreckage breathing heavy.

"Oh crap!" She cried as Izaran charged at her. She rolled out of the way as he brought down one of his hand axes down, burying it in the floor where she had been a moment before. He jerked it back out with a grunt as Nella got to her feet. Her only hope was that her small size and agility would prove to be more of an advantage in this fight compared to his superior size and strength. She charged at him, her spear pointed forward. Izaran swung both axes in a horizontal arc meant to decapitate the princess, but she rolled under blow and instead of losing her head a few strands of hair were sliced off. She slid between his legs and immediately went on the attack. She intended to hit from him from behind and through him off balance and then follow up with another attack. But the ploy failed. Izaran recovered quicker then she anticipated and made an awkward swing behind him. Nella threw her in front of herself at the last moment. She felt and heard the shaft of her spear shattering under the weight of the axe head.

She tumbled to one side and staggered to her feet, the remains of her weapon clutched in both hands. Her only hope now was to get away. She knew there was no way she could beat him now, not on her own. She made another run at the hulking brute in front of her. At the last second she swerved to the left and jammed the spearhead into Izaran's unprotected thigh. He roared in pain and lashed out. Nella cried out in pain as she felt the blade of his axe bite into her forehead.

She stumbled away, her vision clouded by her own blood. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest, it was so loud she barely heard Izaran cursing and screaming behind her. She allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction at he wound she had caused him, but she couldn't linger. At any moment he could be after her again and in her state she didn't stand a chance. She tried to run, but she was dizzy and nearly fell over.

"Got… got to get away." She mumbled. "It won't end like this. It can't end like this! I have… I have to save my home!" _BA-BUMP_ A pounding like a gigantic heartbeat sounded in her head and the world around her seemed to ripple. _BA-BUMP_

_COME._

"What?" A voice that seemed to come from both inside her head and around her called out to Nella. Though she couldn't be sure, her thinking was confused due to her head injury. For all she knew it was a hallucination.

_COME. I AM HERE._

She felt a presence ahead of her. A growing sense of fear was building in the pit of her stomach. What was going on?

_DO NOT BE AFRAID. I AM HERE. I AM WAITING._

Nella walked forward. A wave of peace filled her mind as she got closer to the source of the voice. Though she couldn't say why. She could see a pool of light in front of her. She tripped and nearly fell into a ring formed by several carved pillars. The glow seemed to be coming from the center of the circle, but she couldn't determine the source. A large statue made of pure white stone stood on a pedestal. It was of a woman in flowing robes. To Nella she seemed vaguely familiar. Something in her face and form sparked a sense of familiarity in her mind. Like she was looking at some older version of herself.

_WELCOME YOUNG ONE._

"Who said that? Who's there?" Nella called out.

_YOU WITH THE TROUBLED HEART AND THE COURAGEOUS SOUL. YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN. COME FORWARD AND TAKE YOUR RIGHTFUL DESTINY._

Nella's vision cleared a bit and for the first time she noticed what was standing between the statues outstretched arms. A block of what appeared to be solid crystal or glass sat on an ornately decorated wooden platform. Imbedded inside the block of crystal was a spear. It wasn't just any ordinary spear however. At the base of the barbed spearhead a round gem of the deepest blue had been inserted into the weapon with a rim of gold around it. The handle was made out of metal instead of wood and had golden scrollwork inlaid into it. Nella drew closer to the spear, it was breathtaking to behold. When she got close enough she hesitantly reached out, she wondered how they placed the spear inside the crystal, there were no seams. It was a single piece. The second her fingertips touched the case a blinding white light enveloped Nella. She gave a small gasp of surprise, but she felt no fear.

_DESCENDAT OF THE GREAT QUEEN MY POWER IS YOURS._

The last words faded from Nella's mind like a distant echo. She blinked her eyes clear the spear was gone from the crystal, leaving a spear shaped void. Somehow she was unsurprised to find it in her hands. Despite being made out of metal it was feather light. She gave it a few experimental twirls and found it to be perfectly balanced. A few jabs and slices and it seemed to Nella that it sang. Whoever it had belonged to, whatever it was made from, whatever powers it had that let it call out to her, Nella knew this to be the weapon of a true spear master. And now it was hers.

Like Nella, Chase had been separated from everyone else, but he had managed to give his pursuers the slip. He was taking a moment to catch his breath before making his way back to where they had come in. He was just about to go when he caught the sound of rustling robes. He spun around expecting to face a group of enemies. Instead he saw a lone woman with blue hair.

"Celia." He said in slowly.

"Hello Chase." She said. She didn't move at all. She just stood where she was, her eyes pointed at the floor. "I'm sure you have a lot to say to me."

"Frankly I don't know what to say to you anymore Celia." The young woman winced at the prince's harsh words.

"I understand. I won't try to say I'm sorry Chase. It'd just be hollow words to your ears. Perhaps it's better if we don't say anything at all and just get to what we both know must happen." Celia dropped to her knees, and bent her head. "Please, just make it quick."

"I don't understand Celia. I just don't. Why? Why did you betray Eldrin? Betray me!?"

"I don't know that I can explain. I didn't know he was going to kill your father. I swear I didn't. He promised me up and down that he was going to take you all alive!" Tears fell from Celia's cheeks and splattered upon the cold stones of the vault floor.

"And you believed him!? After you saw what he was doing to our people!?"

"I was a fool Chase! I know that now! If I could go back and change what happened don't you think I would!?"

"But why Celia? What lie did you believe that would make you turn your back on us!?"

"He said he would take me to a world where no one knew me! Where abilities like mine are considered a gift, not a curse! A place where I belong!" She looked into Chase's face for the first time since they had encountered each other. Chase could see the overwhelming guilt there in her eyes, the regret. "But he lied. He keeps me here because he thinks my visions can be used to help find what he's looking for. And don't bother asking what it is. I don't know, he won't tell me."

"Celia, how foolish could you be." Chase just shook his head. "You had a place already. With my family, with me."

"I know Chase. I know I threw it all away. Threw what we had away. And I know I will die for it."

"You mean…?"

"I've seen my death. It's coming for me. I saw it just yesterday. I've seen myself run through with a sword. It's plain as day what it means. It's a relief in a way. It'll give you some closure."

"Closure! Are you mad!? Do you think I want this Celia? Do you think I want to kill you? The woman I've loved since childhood!?" Chase drew his sword. "Do you know highly my father thought of you?" Celia shook her head no. "He once told me he looked forward to the day when I took you as my bride and you sat at my side as the future queen of Eldrin!" Celia fell to her hands and knees and cried harder than ever.

"Do what you have to Chase. But first you need to know something. I've seen the place where the object is. It's someplace underground, a cave or something with a glow to it. That's all I know. It's there that everything is going to end. I won't ask for forgiveness. I don't deserve it. Please, be careful, Logrim is far more dangerous than you can imagine. Goodbye, my love." Chase walked over to where Celia knelt. He gripped his sword in both hands tightly and raised his blade. He hated what he was about to do. He knew what Celia had gone through, she had never had an easy life, but she had brought this upon herself. He mourned what they could have had together. Only days before the invasion he had been thinking about how and where to ask Celia to marry him. She looked so frail and his desire to protect her rose up within him. But he couldn't, she had to pay for her crimes. Punish or protect? The war raged within. With a roar of frustration he brought his sword crashing down. And it clanged harmlessly off the floor.

"Chase? Why?" Celia looked at the prince, not understanding why she was still alive.

"This once, I let you go Celia." Chase said, not looking at the young woman next to him. "Because of what we once had, because of what could have been, you walk away today. Cherish this. I can't show you mercy twice. I pray I don't see you again." He sheathed his sword and stormed away.

Will's group was the first to get back to where they had come in. They were hyper vigilant, waiting for the others to get back, but worried they could be attacked at any moment. So when Amy, Sarah and Caleb came running around the corner Will and her group raised their weapons but quickly lowered them when they saw who it was.

"Are we the only ones to get back so far?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, you haven't seen anyone else?" Will said in a worried tone.

"No, we were too busy putting the hurt on Kisarc and Friv to look for the others." Said Amy.

"We took down that bug headed freak Gar, the one who grabbed Cornelia." Irma said. "Seems like all their heavy hitters are here."

"Trista hasn't tried to reach anyone telepathically has she?" Taranee asked.

"No." said Sarah. Will was about to say something when Chase came running up.

"Chase!" Hay Lin called out. "You're by yourself?"

"Yes, unfortunately." He said. "Nella? Kaz?"

"Not back yet. Neither is Becky, Lisa or Trista." Said Will. "I hope they're okay."

"Maybe we should go looking for them." Amy said. Will was torn between staying put and keeping everyone together and searching for her daughter. She was going to say stay put, no matter how much it pained her to say so when Kaz and Trista showed up.

"Sorry we're late to the party." Trista said. "But we found a major clue!"

"Save it for later! We're still missing Becky, Lisa and Nella."

"Damn! Let me see if I can reach them!" Trista concentrated and reached out with her mind. She looked up in fright a moment later. "Lisa is coming back with Becky! But she's out cold!"

"What!?" Several of the others cried out in alarm.

"What about Nella?" Chase asked.

"She's not with them!" Lisa arrived a moments later carrying Becky in her arms.

"What happened?!" Will asked once Lisa had landed.

"That wizard, Pelth came after us, he hit Becky with some kind of spell." Lisa looked really scared as she set Becky down. "She's alive, but I couldn't stop to try and wake her up." Taranee and Will bent over Becky.

"Becky! Wake up honey!" Will said as she shook Becky while Taranee checked her vitals.

"Uhhh… Five more minutes mom." Becky groaned as she began to come around. The others gave a collective sigh of relief. Lisa came forward and helped Becky to her feet. "Everyone here?"

"Nella is the only who hasn't got back yet." Kaz said.

"What? We got to go find her and get out of here!" Becky said.

"None of you are going anywhere." Logrim walked out of the dark, his sword drawn. "It's time I finished you myself. None will stand in my way." Becky didn't even say anything. She just shot off a pair of lightning bolts. Logrim stumbled a bit, but kept coming. The other four Guardians added their powers to the attack as well, yet Logrim continued to push through the onslaught of magic.

"Why isn't this working!?" Lisa cried out. "He should be on his back by now!"

"You cannot defeat me! Give up now and your deaths with be quick!"

"No one is dying today!" The girls stopped attacking and Logrim turned to face the new arrival. Everyone else was shocked to see blood covering one side of the princess's face. Yet she seemed completely unfazed. "Except maybe you!" She twirled her new spear and charged. Logrim just laughed and brandished his sword. Nella leapt into the air and jumped over her opponent. She lashed out and where her spear blade hit his armor there was a flash of intense light.

"What the?" Caleb muttered.

"You see, you silly little girl? You can't touch me!"

"Maybe not. But that doesn't mean I can't try!" Nella jumped up and brought her weapon down like a hammer. Where it hit the ground exploded in a flash of light and rock. Logrim roared and raised his arm to shield his eyes from the intense light. It was just the distraction Becky needed. She opened a fold and ushered everyone through. Logrim's vision cleared just in time to see the fold snapping shut.

Back on Kandrakar the Oracle was making sure Becky was okay while Lillian saw to Nella's injury before healing Will and Hay Lin's injuries. Jenny was hugging Sarah and everyone else was finding a place to sit and catch their breath, just glad they had managed to get away in one piece.

"You should be fine Keeper." The Oracle said when he was done checking Becky. "I take it you had an eventful trip."

"You could say that." Becky said. "We got separated and when we got back together Logrim found us. All five of us were hitting him with our powers at full blast and it didn't seem to faze him at all! He just kept coming. If Nella hadn't shown up with that spear of hers we may not have gotten out of there."

"Yeah, where did you get that from?" Amy asked.

"I found it." Nella said defensively.

"You just happened to run across a magic spear?" Lisa said with a raised eyebrow.

"It, it called to me okay!" Nella was obviously worried about everyone thinking she was crazy. "And before you say anything I didn't imagine it! It was encased in a big block of crystal and when I touched it there was this flash of light and the spear was in my hands." This description seemed to spark a memory in Chase's mind because he gasped.

"Can I see that spear Nella?" He asked. Nella gripped it a little tighter and stared her brother down. "Please, I'll give it right back. This is important." Nella reluctantly held out the spear for her brother to inspect. He gingerly picked it up and handled it for several minutes, holding it up to the light.

"I can't believe it. Eldengraft. I'm really holding it."

"You know this spear?" Becky asked.

"Yes, it's called Eldengraft. The sacred spear wielded by Ardella, the first queen of Eldrin and our ancestor. It's said the first queen used this spear to help end the dark times and untie our people over a thousand years ago. That's why female members of our family are traditionally trained in spear fighting. It's mostly informal. Nella is the first one in years to show any real promise and take her training father then just the basics." He stopped talking long enough to hand the spear back to Nella with no small measure of reverence.

"Near the end of her life Queen Ardella sealed Eldengraft away in a solid block of crystal and placed it in the royal vault. To keep its power from falling into the wrong hands. It's said that only Ardella's true heir would ever be able to claim the sacred spear for their own and only in a time of great need." Chase looked at his sister in reverent disbelief.

"I believe I know the source of the spear's magic. That blue gem imbedded in it." The Oracle said after looking over the weapon for a moment. "That is no ordinary jewel. That is the Heart of Eldrin. It seems it has chosen a new keeper after all these centuries."

"Are you sure Oracle?" Luba said from the stands.

"Quite sure my friend. You have been granted a great honor young lady. If you are truly the first one it has chosen as it's keeper after so long you must be truly exceptional." Nella just looked at Eldengraft in shock. She knew something of world hearts, having heard the subject discussed while on Meridian. She couldn't believe she had been found worthy enough to carry one.

"Thank you." She said to the blue gem set in the weapon. Everyone stood in silence till Trista suddenly broke the silence.

"Uh, so yeah, Kaz is my boyfriend now." She blurted out, her cheeks turning red. Everyone just looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"Nothing, except that it's about time." Amy said with a smirk. "Well that's just great. I'm the last one to be single. Ah well can't win them all." She said with a giggle. Amy made it a joke, but she was just a tiny bit jealous that she didn't have someone special in her life like the rest of her friends.

"Turning back to what your journey was about in the first place." The Oracle said. "Did you find anything out about what Logrim is after?"

"Yes, we found out what he is looking for. Something called the Demon's Heart. Any idea what that is?"

"That is not an object that sounds familiar to me." The Oracle said frowning slightly.

"Maybe this can help. I found it on that ninja Shoran goon." Trista handed over the drawing she had taken to the Oracle. She still wasn't sure what it was, it looked like some kind of gem in a frame of some sort. The Oracle pondered the drawing for a few minutes before suddenly going pale. Those who knew him best recognized this as a sign of extreme distress.

"What is it?" Halinor asked at seeing the change.

"This, this cannot be." He said in a strained voice. Everyone knew it had to be something serious for him to sound like that. "Everyone, follow me to the library, quickly."

"This is bad, isn't it?" Trista said. Everyone assembled there quickly set off at the Oracle's heels and matched his hurried pace. Which was another sign it was bad. The Oracle never rushed, ever. Whatever he had recognized from the drawing had scared him greatly.

Kandrakar's library was filled with bookcases that went from floor to ceiling which surrounded a central table with a crystal ball on a stand sitting on it. It was around this table that everyone waited while the Oracle walked into the stacks in search of a book. Everyone else muttered among each other, trying to figure out was going on. When the Oracle returned they all grew quiet. He put the book he was carrying underneath the crystal ball and waved his hand over it. An image of a green diamond shaped gem encased in a golden frame that ran along the gems edges. The Oracle held up the drawing and compared it to the image being projected into the air.

"I know what it is Logrim seeks. The item he calls the Demon's Heart is in fact the Heart of Exellis."

"A world heart? What's it doing on Eldrin?" Will asked.

"Exellis is a world that no longer exists. It was over two thousand years ago that it happened. They had been involved in generations of war. There was no stopping it and finally the destruction took its toll and Exellis was lost. It was a great tragedy, millions of lives lost."

"So what happens to a world's heart if its world is destroyed?" Becky asked.

"As far as I know what happened is a unique situation. Normally if a world is destroyed, its heart is destroyed with it. However, the heart of Exellis was not. It was off world at the time of its destruction. I believe its keeper left with it so its power wouldn't be used in the wars. How it ended up on Eldrin I don't know."

"Legends about such an object would be many, and the truth about its nature would in all likelihood have been lost to time. Whatever legends Logrim believes he must want it for its power, he may not even know what it really is he is after. But the situation is much more serious then Logrim trying to get a world heart. Without a world to maintain, all that power in that heart has nowhere to go. It is incredibly unstable, and if not handled in just the right way it could destabilize to the point where it self-destructs."

"That doesn't sound good." Becky said.

"I believe the Earth term is 'meltdown'. If that happens, Eldrin will be destroyed."

"Oh shit." Trista said.

"I think that about sums it up." Becky says. "How do we find it? And if Logrim gets to it first, how do we stop him if our powers don't affect him? I'm still troubled by that. Both times we've gone against him our powers have done nothing to him."

"I may be able to answer that." Nella said. "I saw something carved into his armor when I fought him." She quickly drew out a rune on a piece of parchment.

"A magic nullification rune." The Oracle said. "As long as he wears that armor, your powers or any magic used against him won't work. That is a problem we'll have to find a way around. The more pressing concern is finding the Heart of Exellis. If we don't and Logrim gets to it first…"

"I have a clue to where it is." Chase said. He told them about his encounter with Celia and the information she gave him. Nella looked furious when she found out Chase had let Celia walk away, but didn't say anything. Kaz gave his brother a look, but seemed to understand.

"Any idea what she was talking about?" Becky asked.

"Eldrin is riddled with caves. It could any or none of them."

"I will attempt to find a way to trace the heart. It must be found. An entire world depends on it" The Oracle said.

The only thing Becky could think at that point was what the price of failure had just become.

**So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it! Any and all reviews are welcome, as always. It always helps to know how I'm doing. This chapter marks the beginning of what is roughly the final third of the story. Look forward to more twists and turns as we come to (what I hope is) the epic conclusion of Becky's tale. Chapter 21 is in the works, and as I don't think it will be as no where as long as this one it should be up sooner rather then later.**

**Next Chapter: It's Becky's 15th birthday, and her friends have a day of fun planned for her. But will everything go as planned? And what special surprise does Lisa have in store for her girlfriend? Find out in chapter 21 of B.L.A.S.T. **


	21. Chapter 21 Birthday Bash

**Hi everyone! I am pround to present chapter 21. I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out and I hope you all agree! There is some fan service ahead, but nothing real major, I tried to keep things as tasteful as possible. Thanks to Yellow 14, BlackRoseFire, The half moon arises, XV-Dragon, antlan87, SeekerOfShadows, and drakensis for your reviews for chapter 20. I have a couple of notes after the chapter so please read those!**

**And now on with the show!**

Chapter 21: Birthday Bash

The final bell of the school rang and the halls of Sheffield Academy were quickly filled with cheering students. However Becky and her friends found it hard to join in with their fellow students celebrations. What they had learned about the object Logrim was after and the danger it posed to Eldrin was weighing heavily on their minds. The stakes had been seriously raised with millions of lives on the line. As the six friends left school they resumed the discussion they had been having for the last few days.

"I still think we should just clear everyone off of Eldrin." Amy said. "I mean, that seems to me to be the best option."

"Yeah, but where would we take them Amy?" Sarah asked. "Meridian can't hold that many extra people."

"What about finding an uninhabited planet to send them to? Or spreading them out over several other worlds?" Jenny suggested.

"Those ideas have merits, but the question is still the same. Where?" Lisa said. "Let's say we send them to a planet where no one lives, what are they supposed to do for food? Shelter? What if there are dangerous monsters there? And say we spread them out. That's almost as bad. I mean Meridian's people have certainly been willing to take in the refugees, but I can't see every world's population as welcoming. Especially if they show up unannounced. And trying to negotiate something like that would just take up time we don't have."

"And can you imagine what a nightmare it would be to try and organize something like that?" Trista said. "There's no way we could be sure we got everybody and there's bound to be holdouts that refuse to leave."

"Plus Logrim would know something was up." Becky said with a shake of her head. "There's no way he wouldn't notice everyone on Eldrin just up and vanishing. Yeah, we've been taking people off of Eldrin for months now, but so far it's only been people he's taken prisoner or have been threatened directly by him. If we start making entire towns of people disappear for no reason he's going to know something is up, and we don't want to tip our hand. The less he thinks we know the better."

"What I want to know is how Logrim knew it was on Eldrin on the first place." Sarah said.

"Remember what Nella told us? How she heard from Marna that wizard guy Pelth had tracked its path to Eldrin. Obviously he knew what signs to look for. I'm sure the Oracle could do the same thing, and find where it is, the problem is they have a head start and we have no idea where to begin. For all we know it took them years to figure it out." Jenny said.

"We're just going around in circles here." Becky shook her head in exasperation. "We're no closer to solution then we were a few days ago. I think all we can do for now is keep doing what we've been doing. Fighting Logrim and his men. If we can beat them then that buys us time to find it. And in the meantime we hope the Oracle can find a way to track down the Heart of Exellis if we can't. It's not a great plan, but I just don't see any other options at the moment." Trying to lighten the mood they turned the discussion to their plans for summer break.

"We have to go the beach for sure." Amy said. "Catch some rays, hit the surf, it'll be great!"

"I don't care what we do. I'm just glad to be out of school for the summer. No more Knickerbocker getting her panties in a twist over every little thing. No more having to listen that stuck up bitch Stacey every day. Pure heaven!" Trista said with a wistful sigh.

"Yeah, and you get to spend more time with your BOYFRIEND." Amy said with a giggle. "We'll need to take him to the beach with us so he can stare at you in your bikini."

"Yeah, yeah. Get it out of your system Evans. You're just jealous you don't have anyone." Trista said. Amy rolled her eyes and suppressed a frown. She was admittedly feeling a little jealous of her friends all having someone special in their lives. It was hard not to, seeing her friends smiling and happy with their significant others, especially Becky and Lisa. She wanted that same happiness for herself as well, who didn't? It was just something she hadn't found for herself yet. For the time being she pushed it to the side and moved on to something else she had been thinking about.

Becky's birthday was coming up and Amy had wanted to put together a surprise party for her best friend. The good part (and bad when you thought about her past) was that Becky wouldn't even see it coming because she had never had a birthday party before. Amy had already mentioned it to Will who thought it was a great idea, but she hadn't gotten any farther then that because they had been so busy with their Guardian duties. But now Becky's birthday was only a week away and she was no closer to having it planned then she did a month ago. It was time get it in gear, as her mother liked to say. The real trick was going to be keeping it secret from Becky, who was incredibly sharp. First things first, she had to get the other girls in on plan.

Amy sent a telepathic message to Trista, telling her to get the others together later, but not tell Becky. Trista asked why, but said she'd explain later. Amy figured she could have just called everyone later, but this was faster, and it ensured everyone got the message. Plus she didn't know if Lisa would be with Becky later (they usually were) and for Lisa to suddenly leave if they were could raise suspicions. A couple of hours after they split up everyone arrived at Amy's house.

"Okay Amy, what's this all about? And why weren't we supposed to tell Becky?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, this was all very cloak and dagger." Trista added.

"Yeah, I know. I had kept wanting to bring this up sooner, but well, things happen." Amy said with a shrug. "Anyways, I don't know if any of you know, but Becky's birthday is coming up."

"What? Really?" Lisa said in shock. The others were all surprised as well. "How come she hasn't said anything?"

"Well, remember this is Becky we're talking about. I'm sure her asshole parents never celebrated her birthday. She doesn't always have an idea what normal things like that mean to the rest of us." Sarah said.

"Right, so I was thinking that for her first real birthday we throw her a surprise party!" Amy said excitedly. "It's real short notice, I know, but now that school is out we should have all the time we need to put it together."

"Well I'm in." Lisa said. The others agreed as well. "One question. How'd you find out when her birthday is?" Amy explained she had approached Will awhile back out of curiosity. Will had done some digging shortly after adopting Becky to get necessary records for enrolling her in school. She had found some personal records on her new daughter which included her date of birth.

"Where should we have it?" Trista asked. "One of our places? I doubt we could do it at her apartment. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if we're caught putting up a bunch of balloons."

"I don't know if that's going to big enough." Amy said. "There's probably going to be more than just the six of us. Will, for one will want to be there, and if she comes so will Irma. And was I thinking of inviting Chase, Kaz and Nella."

"Don't forget Cornelia, Caleb, Taranee and Hay Lin. Maybe even Elyon." Sarah said, ticking her fingers off as she spoke.

"Okay, so a large venue. Where are we going to find that on such short notice?" Jenny said.

"How about the 'Silver Dragon'?" Lisa said suddenly. "It's large enough. It has a kitchen, and we know the owner who would end up being a guest anyways."

"Perfect!" Amy said. Glad that things were starting to come together so quickly. "I'll swing by the restaurant tomorrow and talk to Hay Lin. We'll have to keep her away from Becky though, you know how excitable she is, she'd blab the minute she saw Becky." The girls had a good laugh at that one. "Lisa, I need you to talk to Will tomorrow, let her know what's what. She can get ahold of Cornelia and the others."

"What about Chase, Kaz and Nella?"

"Leave that to me." Said Jenny. "I have a lesson with the Oracle tomorrow. One of them should be there."

"Awesome. Okay, what about decorations?" Amy asked.

"Leave that to Jenny and me." Sarah said.

"That just leaves a cake."

"I got it covered." Trista said.

"You aren't going to bake it yourself, are you?" Amy said hesitantly. "You remember what happened with that pie."

"Oh shut up! That was two years ago! And no, I'm going to bake it myself. But I do know a bakery that is good at rush jobs." Trista said angrily. Sarah explained to Jenny in a whisper how a couple of years ago Trista experimented with baking. She had attempted to make an apple pie from scratch, only she didn't have all the right ingredients. Instead of letting that stop her she decided to substitute what was missing for what was on hand. Which included dried apples instead of fresh ones. She then used the others as test subjects for the resulting mess. The girls reactions were… unpleasant to say the least. At the time there had been talk of calling poison control.

"Well that takes care of everything I can think of." Amy said.

"Wait, what about presents?" Jenny asked.

"That will be up to you as what to get her." Amy said. "So with that 'Operation Happy Birthday Becky' is officially under way!" Amy pumped her fist, but instead of getting the cheers she was expecting everyone just kind of looked at her a little funny.

"Dude, Amy, seriously?" Trista said.

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity for the girls, all made harder by the fact that they needed to keep it secret from Becky. Hay Lin was more than willing to use the 'Silver Dragon' for the party. And Will agreed to get the word out to the rest of W.I.T.C.H. and would tell Cornelia to have Caleb to invite Elyon. The night before the party Amy and Lisa were on the phone discussing how to get Becky to the party. Lisa assured her that she had a simple but effective plan to accomplish that goal.

"Good." Amy said on her end. "So what are you getting her?" There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. For a moment Amy thought they had been disconnected.

"Well… that's kind of private Amy." Lisa said slowly. "I have a gift for her for the party, but my real present is just for the two of us when we're alone."

"Ohhh… okay, don't say any more. I think I get the idea, maybe, whatever. So see you tomorrow night at seven." Amy quickly hung up the phone in embarrassment. She had a pretty good idea what Lisa was getting at. Well, it was best not to dwell on something like that. She did her best to shrug it off and went back to making sure everything was in place for tomorrow night.

Becky sat on her bed with a book, though she wasn't really paying attention to what she was reading. She mind was spinning, trying to figure out what was going on with everyone. For the past several days they had all been acting very strangely. Like they knew something she didn't. But what that was she couldn't figure out, if that was the case. For all she knew it was all in her imagination, even though she knew it wasn't. Just as she was thinking of calling Lisa she came bursting through her bedroom door.

"Becky! We've got to get to the 'Silver Dragon'! It's an emergency!" She said in a rush. Becky was on her feet in an instant.

"What's going on Lisa!?"

"No time to explain! Just get dressed!" Becky was wearing the shorts and t-shirt she wore when relaxing at home. Lisa ran to the closet and pulled out one of Becky's nicer dresses and a pair of dress shoes. "C'mon, hurry up!" She said, shoving the articles of clothing into her girlfriend's hands. Becky quickly dressed, every time she tried to ask what the situation was or question why Lisa had grabbed a party dress he blonde would just tell her there was no time to talk and that Will was waiting downstairs in the car. Once Becky was dressed they hurried out of the apartment and rode down the elevator. On the ride down she noticed that Lisa was in her best party dress and had heels on. She was about to ask Lisa why was so dressed up when they arrived at the bottom floor. Lisa rushed out to the waiting car, again giving Becky no chance to ask questions. She tried asking what was so important on the brief car ride, but was told everything would be explained at the 'Silver Dragon'. Her first thought, and fear, was that Logrim had found the Heart of Exellis before they could.

When they reached the restaurant Will hastily parked the car and ran inside followed by Lisa before Becky could even get out of the car. She quickly followed after them, not even registering that the lights were all off inside the building. Her heart was racing in fear as she ran through the front door.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday Becky!" The birthday girl froze in place as everyone cheered at the top of their lungs and the lights snapped on. A camera caught her shocked expression. The interior of the restaurant had been decorated with colorful balloons and streamers. A huge banner had been tacked to the wall that said happy birthday. Becky was completely lost for words as Lisa came forward and put a plastic tiara on her head with the words birthday girl on it. She took Becky by the hand and led her to a chair sitting in front of a giant cake in the shape of the Heart of Kandrakar, it even had pick and silver icing. A lit candle in the shape of the number fifteen sat on the top.

"Hunh, wah, uh…" Was all she could get out of her mouth.

"I take it that you were surprised then?" Lisa said as she sat down next to her girlfriend. Becky just stared dumbfound at Lisa and nodded her head. "Good, you can thank Amy for that. She's the one who put this whole thing together."

"Amy? Really?" Becky asked, finally able to speak again. Amy just blushed and nodded. "Thank you."

"C'mon birthday girl! Make a wish and blow out your candle already!" Trista called out. Kaz stood next to her, his arm around her waist. Becky giggled, took a deep breath and blew out the candle, to which everyone applauded.

"The cake is amazing! Where did you get it!?" Becky asked as Will began to slice it.

"This bakery I know. I just told them what I wanted it to look like and when I needed it and they whipped it right up." Trista said. "They did look at me a little funny when I described how the cake was supposed to look, but whatever." After the cake was passed out they all sang happy birthday to Becky. After they were done eating Lisa announced it was time for presents. That's when Becky saw the nearby table loaded down with packages.

"Presents? Really?" She said.

"Well yeah, it is your birthday after all." Will said. "Here, open mine first." Will handed Becky her present, wrapped in what else but a frog themed wrapping paper. The frogs were all wearing party hats and blowing noisemakers. Becky could only smile. She quickly unwrapped the package and pulled out a book.

"Cool! Book one of the Dragon Knights series! I heard about these books! They're supposed to be really good! Thanks mom!"

"You're welcome sweetie."

"Mine next!" Hay Lin said excitedly. She got her present off the table and practically shoved it in Becky's face. It was a small box wrapped in blue paper. Inside was a silver necklace with a Chinese character on it. "That's Chinese for courage. I thought it fit you pretty well."

"Thank you Hay Lin!" Becky said as she put the necklace on.

"Here ya go Becks!" Trista said.

"Cool! An I-Pod!" Becky said happily. There was a fifty dollar I-Tunes card in the box as well.

"Those are some neat presents Becky." Caleb said as he set a rather long unwrapped wooden box in front of Becky. "I hope you like mine." Becky lifted the lid and gasped. She reached in and gingerly lifted out a slim bladed style sword like what Cornelia used.

"Wow…" Becky said as she examined the blade. "Caleb, I don't know what to say, thank you."

"I'll start teaching you how to use that soon as I can." Caleb said.

"Well my present is more fun than my husband's. I mean really, a sword as a birthday present?" Cornelia said. Caleb just grinned at his wife. "Tomorrow I'm taking you on a clothes shopping spree. We're getting you all kinds of new stuff."

"Can you really afford that?" Becky asked.

"Pfff, don't worry about that. I'm really well off. I did a lot of modeling right after high school and it paid really well. The agency I worked for keeps wanting me to come back too."

"Heh, no surprise there. You always did look good in a bikini." Irma said. Will elbowed her and gave Irma an annoyed look. "What!? Can you blame me for looking? Cornelia is a hottie!" Everyone started laughing and while they were distracted Lisa went up to Cornelia and whispered something in her ear. Cornelia looked at the younger blonde in surprise, but quickly got over it, gave Lisa a knowing smile and nodded.

"Well, anyways." Irma said as the laughter died down. "Like Corny, I don't have anything with me. My gift is this Saturday night you get to be a guest DJ at my radio station."

"No way!" Becky cried out. "That is so cool!" This was quickly becoming one of the best nights of Becky's life. Sarah and Jenny were next with their present. They both got up and set it before Becky.

"This is from the both of us." Jenny explained.

"We had to go in together to get this for you." Sarah added. Becky ripped off the wrapping paper to find the home version of 'Dance Master'.

"Awesome!" She cried out happily. "Thanks guys! I love it!"

"Well I hope you're as enthusiastic about my present." Taranee said. "If figured since you're so good at that game you'd like dance lessons at my studio."

"Really!? Taranee thank you!" Becky was becoming a bit overwhelmed. "Wait, your studio?"

"I'm co-owner of a dance studio. It's the same one I learned at when I was your age. When I could afford to I bought into the business." Taranee explained.

"Okay! My turn!" Amy said excitedly. She grabbed her present and plopped it down in front of her best friend. Becky ripped it open, now really getting into the mood she was eager to see what other kinds of loot she was getting. Amy had gotten Becky several volumes of manga and the anime series based off of it. "I think you'll really like this series." Amy said enthusiastically. "It's really popular in Japan as well as here. Oh, look in the bottom of the box." Becky dug around a bit and pulled out a ticket to something called UltraCon.

"What's UltraCon?" She asked.

"It's the local anime convention. Believe me its lots of fun! Oh, before I forget I got tickets for the rest of you guys as well!" She pulled out some more tickets and handed them out to Lisa, Trista, Sarah, and Jenny. She also had tickets for Chase, Kaz and Nella as well. "This going to be so much fun! I already have a group cosplay in the works! I need to get some measurements from you guys, but still! I can't wait!" It was hard not to get caught up in her enthusiasm and Becky gave her a heartfelt thank you. Trista could be heard groaning in the background.

"Okay, let me get mine." Said Elyon. She went back into the kitchen and came back with a cardboard box with air holes cut into it. Becky was a little confused until she opened the box and gasped in delight. A small, very fluffy black and white kitten was meowing up at her.

"He's so cute!" She cried as picked the kitten up and snuggled it. The kitten instantly began to purr and when Becky held him out so everyone could look at him the kitten reached up and tried to paw at her face. "Elyon, thank you! I love cats! I always wanted one!" The girls all wanted to pet the kitten, even Nella who's normally gruff exterior was broken for a moment when she went to pet it.

"This is from all three of us." Chase said as he handed over a tall oddly shaped item to Becky. She tore off the gold colored wrapping paper and once again gasped. It was a crystal, deep purple in color that radiated out from a central ball. The whole thing was set into a wooden base that was expertly carved and polished.

"This is called a thunder gem." Kaz explained. "It's one of the rarest crystals on our world. It's said to embody the spirit of the skies." Becky could see why. She could almost feel the energy coming from it. It was like a lighting storm had been frozen in place and trapped in crystal.

"It's our way of thanking you for everything you've done so far to help our people and our world." Nella said.

"Chase, Kaz, Nella. Thank you. It's beautiful."

"Well that just leaves me." Lisa said. She grabbed the last box off the table. It was small and wrapped in shiny purple paper. Becky tore the paper off and opened the small jewelry box that was underneath the paper. She opened the box. She involuntarily inhaled when she saw the gold earrings set with green gems inside.

"Lisa, they're beautiful. Thank you." Becky said.

"Are those real emeralds?" Sarah asked.

"No, unfortunately I couldn't afford the real thing. I hope you like them anyway."

"Are you kidding?! I love them!" Becky said as she quickly put them on to show them off. At that moment she became overwhelmed and was fighting to hold back tears. "Everyone, thank you! Thank you so much! You have no idea what this whole party means to me! Thank you, thank you!" Lisa wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and held her close.

"I think we do understand Becky." She whispered into Becky's ear. The party got into full swing after that. Music was played loudly from a boom box. Everyone mingled and talked and a generally good time. Becky named her new kitten Starburst after a white four point star shaped spot on his otherwise black forehead. Near the end of the evening Lisa pulled Will aside to speak to hear. She needed to arrange things for her true surprise gift to Becky.

"Will, is there any way possible me and Becky can have the apartment to ourselves tomorrow night?"

"I suppose, why?" Will asked.

"I have something special planned for Becky tomorrow night, and it requires privacy. I was planning it for tonight, but when Cornelia said she was taking Becky shopping tomorrow it gave me a chance to make this really special for the both of us. I've already spoken to her, now I just need some help from you."

"Uh huh…" Will said. She gave the young Air Guardian a knowing smile. "Well I think I can arrange to be gone tomorrow night. I think I'll just stay over at Irma's, so you two can be alone as long as you like."

"Thank you Will." Lisa said as she got up. "Don't tell Becky, I want it to be a surprise."

"Sure thing." Will said. "Oh, I'll be sure to knock on the door in the morning so I don't embarrass you two." Lisa blushed a bit and walked off. She bid everyone goodnight and left for home. She wanted to get to bed early. She had a lot to do to prepare for tomorrow night.

The next afternoon Cornelia arrived to take Becky to the mall for her birthday shopping spree. Cornelia promised to make her look like a million bucks. The first stop was one of the trendiest clothing stores in the mall. Cornelia spent a lot of time picking out clothes for Becky, she could tell Cornelia was in her element. She kept holding up various articles of clothing in front of Becky and scrutinizing how they looked on the younger girl. Cornelia then insisted on having her try them all on and modeling them for her. Shirts, pants, skirts and a new bikini. It took nearly an hour and a half before Cornelia was satisfied with everything. While Becky was exhausted, she had to admit the new additions to her wardrobe were really nice.

"Next, new underwear." Cornelia stated very matter-of-factly and headed straight for the Victoria's Secret store.

"Whoa, whoa, what?" Becky blurted out. "Cornelia, I appreciate this whole trip to mall, really I do. But I mean that really isn't my type of place. Besides I don't know that my mom would approve. I mean, all the stuff is, well, kind of naughty." Becky blushed, fumbling with her words. "Plus, I don't really have the… curves for that stuff."

"Becky you are more than curvy enough."

"But I doubt they have anything in my size." Becky said in further protest.

"They have a department that caters to teenagers Becky." Cornelia held up her hand to stop Becky from making any further arguments. "Believe me, it's fine. Your mom won't mind, I'm sure. Look, it's my belief that every young lady should have as least one pair of as you put it, 'naughty' undies. So quit stalling and let's go."

"But…" Cornelia just walked in. Becky sighed and reluctantly followed her in. She could fell herself going red in the face just looking at some of the display mannequins.

"Over here Becky, I think I found something that'll suit you just fine." Cornelia held up a bra and panty set, causing Becky to groan. "C'mon already you need to try them on." Cornelia ushered Becky into a changing room and gave her the underwear, which was made from a shiny green fabric with black lace trim and in her mind at least, left little to the imagination. Once she had them on she did have to admit they made her feel a little more, 'womanly' was the word she came up with.

"Wow, those look great on you!" Becky jumped, she had been so focused on checking herself out in the mirror she hadn't noticed Cornelia sticking her head through the curtain to check on her.

"We doing alright in there?" A sales clerk said from behind Cornelia.

"Oh yes, thank you." Cornelia said. "Would you mind ringing this up for us?" Cornelia pulled the tag off the underwear and handed it to the clerk. "And these as well." Becky stuck her head out the curtain to see Cornelia hand the clerk another two sets of underwear. One all black and the other a light sky blue, as well as a blue and black nighty that was very short. "Charge it all to my account please."

"Of course ma'am." The clerk said before walking off.

"Cornelia! What are you doing!? I don't want to be a slut!" Cornelia actually started laughing at Becky's words.

"Becky you are not a slut. There is a huge difference in being slutty and being in charge of your sexuality. It all comes down to how you act. Believe me, you're fine."

"If you say so." Becky wasn't totally sure she believed Cornelia, but decided to trust her for the time being. "Here, just let me change out of these…"

"No, just wear them out. We're a little short on time and there are still a few other places I want to stop at." The next stop was a dress shop that specialized in evening wear. There Cornelia picked out a black cocktail dress with a slit up one side. It left Becky's arms bare and to her embarrassment featured a rather low neck line. She again hated to admit it, but Becky did find she looked good in the dress. When she got out of the dressing room to show Cornelia she found her talking on the phone.

"Don't worry, we're almost done. I just want to get her hair and makeup done then we'll be on our way. I'll call you to let you know when we've left the mall, should only take fifteen minutes to get there. Ok, bye." Cornelia turned around to check on Becky and found her standing there. "Oh, wow! You look great! That dress suits you!"

"Thanks. Who were you talking to?" Becky asked. Her suspicions were peaked at this point. This was more than just a shopping trip. Something was up.

"Oh, Caleb. He just wanted to know when I'll be home." Becky's bullshit alarm was going off.

"C'mon Cornelia, I know something is going on. Tell me." Cornelian just smiled and shook her head.

"Can't fault you for being such a smart cookie. Let's go, one more stop to make."

"You're not going to tell me anything are you?"

"Nope, that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? And don't bother changing out of the dress." Before they left Cornelia handed Becky a shoebox with a pair of strappy black high heeled shoes inside and told her to carry them for now. After leaving the dress shop they went to the hair salon where Cornelia had them give Becky's hair a light trim and made a bit wavy. After that they gave her some light makeup, lipstick and mascara mainly, and Cornelia announced she was ready. Ready for what Becky had no clue. Cornelia's call to whoever didn't shed any new light on the situation. She was still confused when they pulled up in front of her apartment building.

"Well here we are. Put on your heels and head on up. Don't worry about your stuff, I'll bring it by tomorrow, not to early mind you." Cornelia said. "Have a good time." Becky just shrugged and headed inside. Cornelia sat there a moment enjoying her handy work. "Damn I'm good. She looks like great. Lisa better thank me." She chuckled and drove off. Becky couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. It was obvious someone wanted her dressed up for something. But what and who was still a mystery. Her mom maybe? She got upstairs and walked through her front door.

"What?" It was the last thing she had been expecting to find. The lights were dimmed and the curtains closed. The table had been set for a romantic dinner for two, lit candles, flowers, the whole nine yards. Soft music played in the background and she could smell something really good from the kitchen.

"You like it?" Came Lisa's voice from behind her. Becky spun around as Lisa stepped out of the shadows. She wore a light blue gown that wrapped around her neck and left her back and shoulders bare. She had done her hair up in a twisty knot and had inserted a pair of black chopsticks into her hair.

"Lisa… you look gorgeous." Becky said in awe. Lisa blushed and said a shy thank you. "You did all of this?"

"Yeah, this is my real birthday present to you. A romantic evening for just the two of us."

"Lisa, I don't know what to say." Becky said. Lisa came up to her and placed a finger on her lips.

"You don't have to say anything my love. You just have to enjoy yourself." Lisa took Becky by the hand and led her to her seat at the table. She went into the kitchen and came back with two plates of food. Roasted chicken with a pasta side dish.

"You made this? I didn't know you could cook."

"Well, I can't give away all my secrets, now can I? How else am I supposed to surprise and amaze you?" Lisa said as she sat down at the other end of the table.

"Oh I'm surprised alright." Some of the things that had gone on at the mall were starting to make more sense now. "I can't believe you put this altogether."

"Well, I wanted this evening to be as special and romantic as I could make it." Lisa said. She was blushing again. She raised her glass which was full of sparkling cider, Will had turned her down when she asked if they could have real champagne, and made a toast. "Here's to us Becky, all I can say is I'm happy beyond words that we found each other, I can't imagine how I lived before I had you in my life. I love you."

"Lisa, that was beautiful. I feel the same. I love you with all of my heart." They drank to Lisa's toast then dug into the meal, which was very delicious as far as Becky was concerned. She told Lisa about the days shopping trip who laughed at Becky's reluctance to go underwear shopping. When they finished the main course Lisa cleared the plates and came back with desert, chocolate cake with hot fudge and vanilla ice cream. Once that was done Lisa set the music to a slow, jazzy tune and held out her hand to Becky. She took it and the two girls entwined their arms around each other and started to dance together. How long they stayed like that they would never be able to tell, they became so lost in one another that time lost all meaning.

"Thank you for this night Lisa, it's been so wonderful."

"It's not over yet." Lisa whispered in Becky's ear.

"What more could you possibly do for me? It's all too much already."

"It can never be enough Becky, never. Besides, this is as much for me as it is for you. Let's go to your bedroom and I'll explain." Lisa gently pulled Becky towards her room. Becky felt a sudden surge of butterflies in her stomach. Was Lisa hinting at what she thought she was? Did she dare hope for what she thought was about to happen? She was incredibly nervous and just a little bit afraid. Lisa closed the door behind them and sat down on the bed. She took Becky's hands into her own and stared into her brown eyes with her own deep blue ones.

"Becky, I know we haven't really talked about… sex a whole lot before now." Lisa said shyly at first. Her cheeks were bright red. She grew more confidant as she spoke though. "But I've never been with anyone before and I know you haven't. Well, I want you to be the one I give my virginity to and I want yours. Here, tonight I want this to be the first time we make love together. That's why I did all of this, I wanted this night to be as special and as close to perfect as I could make it." Becky wasn't sure how to respond. Now she knew why Cornelia had insisted on taking her to Victoria's Secret. She looked at Lisa who was waiting for an answer and she knew. Her insecurities and fears vanished like smoke on the wind. She knew that it was what she wanted as well.

"It already is perfect Lisa." Becky leaned in and kissed Lisa with as much passion as she could put into it. Lisa reached up and pulled the chopsticks out of her hair, letting it fall free. It wasn't long before Becky was unzipping Lisa's dress and hers was coming undone in turn. They were down to their underwear, then nothing. Then two souls who were meant to be together. Two souls, who through blind luck or fate or whatever you chose to call it, had been lucky enough to have found one another. Two souls who had chosen to fight all the odds to be together, in that moment those two souls became one.

**And scene! So there you have it, another chapter comes to a close! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i did writing it. As I said I have a couple of things to mention. When I first came up with this chapter I was going to have the bad guys attack, but then I thought 'what kind of birthday would that be to have to fight off a bunch of lizard men?" So that part was cut out. Also I'm in the process of rethinking how the last few chapters are going to go so the story may be ending in fewer chapters then I originally thought as well as adding a new twist or two! And would any one want a chapter where the gang goes to the anime con that Amy got tickets to? I got a few ideas for the chapter that I think could be fun and I'm just curious to what you all think.**

**Preview of next chapter: The search for the Heart of Exellis continues and leads both sides to an ancient underground graveyard! What will they find there, will it be what they seek or something more manevolent then they expect? And is Amy really okay with being single or is it eating at her more then even she knows?**


	22. Chapter 22 Deadlands

**Hi everyone! I'm back with chapter 22! Had this finished awhile back, but ended up needing to do some rewrites on it and it took some time to get them done. but no matter, it's up now! As always thanks go to my reviewers for the previous chapter: IamACritic, XV-Dragon, yellow14 and PenguinLord0029**

**I also want to take a moment to address something that some readers have been asking about, and that's if I'm ever going to have full on on sex scenes in this stroy and I feel a definitive answer is in order. This is a subject that I've given a lot of thought. I've even tried writing a few test scenes featuring some of the various couples just for the heck of it, but the truth is I feel that with the tone I've set for this story dosen't really allow for sex scenes. Don't get me wrong I've got nothing adginst Lemon scenes and I'm comtemplating having future stories with sex scenes. For BLAST however, it's not going to happen. For those who were hoping for such scenes I am sorry to disapoint you. Though for those who REALLY want to read such scenes I am willing to take requests and send them to you. PM me if intrested. **

Chapter 22: Deadlands

"This is becoming tiresome." Logrim said with a scowl. "All these months of fruitless searching has gotten us nowhere. My patience is not limitless Pelth. I want results."

"I understand my lord." The old wizard bowed deeply before his master. Kisarc watched the exchange in silence. In his mind he thought that Pelth had to be crazy. Had he been in the same position there was no way he would have shown the back of his neck to Logrim, not with that look in his eyes. If his employer was looking at him like that Kisarc would have gone for a knife and thrown it in-between the old man's eyes and gotten the hell out of there. He was beginning to think it was time to do that anyways, though he hated the thought of it. To run out on a contract without good reason was a sign of shame among his kind. Frankly though Kisarc was willing to lose a little bit of face among the other mercenary band leaders then wind up dead.

"As you know I have been focusing my search on hiding places that fit the criteria of the prediction provided by our young seer here." Pelth gave a dismissive nod towards Celia who was standing in the corner, her head bowed to the floor. "I have come to the conclusion that the royal family never knew about the Demon's Heart." The very name sent chills up Kisarc's spine. Whatever this object was it sounded like trouble and he wanted no part of it. The sooner they found it the sooner the contract with Logrim would be concluded and he and his men could part ways with this barbaric old warlord. The more time he spent around Logrim, the more he grew despise the man and his methods. Kisarc was not above slitting a few throats to get the job done when it was called for, no Shoran was. That's why their services were so sought after. As long as they got paid there wasn't much a Shoran mercenary wouldn't do. But Logrim's methods left a bad taste in his mouth.

"It's possible that some ancient branch of the family did at one time, but that information has been lost to history."

"Get on with it Pelth, enough of your dissembling. I am well past the point of growing bored." Again Logrim showed his foolishness. Never dismiss anything your people had to say. Kisarc knew from experience the tiniest detail could spell victory or defeat.

"As you say my lord. During the course of my research I found a book that tells of a place where no one on this world dares to go."

"Admittedly an ideal place to hide something you don't want found. But that means little."

"The book said and I quote. 'This bastion of darkness glows with foul light of damned souls.' A rather close description wouldn't you say."

"Kendrif's graveyard!" Celia said suddenly. "The dark hollow of evil spirits!" Her face had gone deathly pale. While he wasn't a superstitious type, Kisarc knew better than to mess with anyplace connected to the dead. Especially someplace that even a vague description of frightened someone so badly.

"You know of this place?" Logrim asked.

"Enough to know that you do not want to go anyplace near it. No one that has ever entered has come back out, their souls trapped for all eternity in that foul place."

"Pah, foolish superstition." Logrim said.

"Perhaps, perhaps not." Pelth said. "The stories I have read name it a place of great evil. A place so feared would be the perfect hiding spot. And if it is shielded in some way, as I suspect it is, then that might explain much."

"That place is a foul pit of blackness. It would be foolish to even think of going there." Celia said in fear.

"Be quiet girl!" Logrim snapped.

"I would listen to her if I were you." Kisarc said, finally speaking up. "Places like this graveyard have a bad reputation for a reason."

"Spare me." Logrim rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I will not be scared off by ghost stories."

"I would advise caution at the very least. A small group to scout this place and do the first search, at least till we know what we're dealing with. Admittedly it probably isn't ghosts, but it could be any number of other things at play." Kisarc said.

"There is wisdom there my lord. This place is ancient and may have unexpected traps or dangers we're not expecting."

"How big is this graveyard?"

"As far as I can tell maybe a fourth of the size of the royal vault."

"Very well. Prepare a small group, a few squads perhaps. We leave tomorrow afternoon. Pelth, Kisarc, you will accompany me as well." Logrim said. He got an evil grin and looked at Celia. "Oh yes, we can't forget our resident seer as well. You can come and see for yourself how dangerous this place actually is." If was possible to do so Celia would of gone even paler then she already was. For a brief moment Kisarc actually felt bad for the young woman. The Shoran leader left the throne room, contemplating his next move.

"Did you hear what was said?" He asked of Friv who was standing just outside the door. This was another thing that irked him. Logrim refused to allow his second in command in on the meetings. Not that it mattered, Friv usually could hear what was going on anyways. But Kisarc liked having his friend by his side for a number of reasons, one being that if there was trouble they were there to back each other up.

"Enough to give me pause. We both know that is a very bad idea."

"You don't know the half of it. You didn't see the traitors face when she found out where we're going next. Whatever this graveyard is, it's nowhere we want to be." Kisarc said gravely.

"What do you want to do?" Friv asked. Kisarc got the hidden meaning behind the question. What to do indeed. While you couldn't get paid if you were dead there still was the matter of professional pride. He made his decision and hoped it would not lead to their doom.

"Assemble two squads to go on the mission. Logrim will bring some of his men as well so there is no need to risk too many of ours. Leave Izaran and Chirin behind, their skills will do us no good there if there really are spirits. Bring Terak with us though. He has a gift for sensing the unseen. Tell the men to stick close to Pelth. The old wizard may be insane, but he will be the only one who can deal with something supernatural. Our blades will do little good."

"That settles the immediate problem." Again Friv's meaning was not lost on the mercenary leader.

"Begin spreading the word, discreetly, to be ready to pull out at a moment's notice. You know what needs to be done. I will not let Iron Saber be destroyed for a madman's quest." The two lizard men walked off in silence. Unbeknownst to them Friv wasn't the only one who had overheard the discussion in the throne room. Once she was sure it was clear Marna stepped out of the shadows and headed for one of the secret passages. Nella had to know what was going on right away.

The gang was at the beach for the Fourth of July weekend. Almost everyone was there. Will in what else but a frog themed bikini was grilling burgers assisted by Irma who wearing a black two piece. Taranee in a white bikini and Hay Lin in an orange one were taking on Kaz and Trista in a game of beach volleyball. The two former Guardians were doing quite well. Kaz and Trista might not have been losing as badly if they could have kept their eyes off of each other. Trista keep glancing over at her shirtless, muscle-bound boyfriend and Kaz kept checking out Trista in her red and white striped bikini. The distraction led to them missing some easy saves and earned them some good natured ridicule from their opponents.

Sarah and Jenny in matching blue swimsuits were teaching Nella how to build a sandcastle. The young princess wasn't really paying attention however. Her focus was divided between trying not to feel embarrassed wearing the green two piece swimsuit provided to her and trying to fight off a crab that kept getting dangerously close to her unprotected ankles. The intruding crustacean was unperturbed by the stick Nella kept poking it with in an attempt to chase it off. Chase was coming out of the water after a swim and was doing his best to politely refuse the offers of several young ladies wanting to rub sunscreen on his back. Amy in a yellow bikini was laying on a towel underneath a beach umbrella applying a generous amount of sunscreen in an attempt to keep her fair skin from burning.

Meanwhile Becky and Lisa were just walking along the surf line, enjoying each other's company. Ever since they had slept together they had become even closer. That first time with Lisa had been the best night of Becky's young life. However her mind wasn't totally there at the beach. She was still dwelling over a meeting she had attended on Kandrakar the other day. While everyone had been there, the primary focus was on her and her fellow world heart keepers, namely Nella, Elyon, and Lillian.

"Thank you for all being here today" The Oracle said. "I called this meeting to discuss the crisis we are facing on Eldrin. Needless to say everyone here is greatly concerned by what we are up against. I will not waste time going over my efforts to find the Heart of Exellis other than to say that I have been unsuccessful. While this is not good news it is also not exactly bad either. If I am unable to sense its location then Logrim and his forces won't be able to either. This at least puts us on even footing. If he had a means of finding its location on Eldrin he would have done so already."

"But Logrim has a head start on us. He's been searching for it for months now. We're starting from square one." Becky pointed out.

"True, but it is only a slight advantage. We know at least as much as he does about where it might be."

"Do have any idea as to why you can't sense its location?" Chase asked.

"A few. The most likely is that it is shielded somehow. It would explain why it has remained on Eldrin for so long with no one detecting it."

"Are we even sure it's there? I mean you said yourself that Exellis was destroyed more than two thousand years ago. That's an awfully long time for something like that to be floating in the wind." Will said.

"An excellent point. I have been working to trace its path through the infinite dimensions, which is not an easy task. This is one area where we are at a disadvantage. Logrim, or should I say the wizard working for him has undoubtedly been researching the subject for a much longer time then myself. I can only conclude they have solid evidence it ended up on Eldrin. We must operate under the assumption they are correct. I do not believe they would be expending so much effort if they only had a hunch. Plus you are forgetting the prophecy made by the seer Celia. I will continue to look into the subject in the meantime. I am hoping I find some clue they overlooked."

"So what do we do when we find the Heart of Exellis? You said it would be really unstable." Becky asked.

"That brings me to the next subject of this meeting. Once we locate the Heart of Exellis it is imperative that it is handled properly. There are only four people among us that have the ability to do that. Becky, Nella, Elyon, and Lillian." The four girls were all stunned at this. "Because you are Keepers you are the only ones that can even touch it. Anyone else who tries would more than likely be vaporized instantly and would set off a chain reaction that would cause it to detonate after about five minutes and destroy Eldrin. That is why it is imperative we get to it first. Becky, Nella, since your world hearts are gem types like the Heart of Exellis you'll have the best chance of containing it."

"Why is that?" Lillian asked.

"It is very technical. The quick answer is that gem type world hearts all share a similar magical wavelength, that is just the nature of them. While Elyon and Lillian are the embodiments of their world's hearts. Because of that your wavelengths are unique to you." There were more than a few blank stares among the group. "I understand that was not a very good explanation. You must understand that a great deal of high level magical theory is involved. It would take far too long to walk you through it properly. It is easier to just say that Becky and Nella will have an easier time sealing the Heart of Exellis then Elyon or Lillian. They can do it, but it would take longer, making them more vulnerable in the process."

"One question. I thought you couldn't forcibly take a world heart, that it could only be given." Will asked.

"Normally that is true. But I believe that because there is no one left from Exellis to become the keeper of its heart the normal rules do not apply. Remember, this is uncharted territory we are entering. It is difficult to say with any certainty what will happen. But you should be able to seal it. While no heart can be taken against its keeper's will, they can be sealed. Consider it a safeguard. A way of preventing them from being misused. It is a 'last ditch' measure is the term I believe you would say. One that has only been done twice in history that I know of."

"So how do we seal it then?" Nella asked.

"I have prepared a way for you to practice." The Oracle waved his hand and a stone in the floor slid out of the way. An orange star shaped gem floated out of the hollow beneath it. "I created this gem as an approximation of a real gem type world heart. It will allow me to walk you through what you need to do. Becky, you first please." The Oracle talked her through it. Becky wasn't really sure she understood what she was being told. Mostly it seemed like she had to feel her way through it. She could sense the fake world heart in her mind and it came down to getting a feeling for its flow of energy. At least that's what it felt like to her. Once she got the rhythm of it down it wasn't hard to connect with it and tell it to shut itself down. There was a clink as the orange star hit the floor. It had only taken Becky about a minute and a half. After that Nella took a turn and like Becky she was able to shut it down very quickly, maybe taking thirty seconds longer than it had Becky. Elyon and Lillian were a different story however. It took them nearly five minutes apiece to shut it down.

"Excellent, all of you." The Oracle said when Lillian had finally managed to seal the fake heart.

"It felt… weird." Lillian said. "It was really strange feeling."

"Didn't feel that way to me." Nella said.

"That again comes down to the difference in your heart types."

"Will it be that easy with the real thing?" Becky asked.

"You will likely feel some more resistance in syncing yourselves to the Heart of Exellis, but otherwise no. If it had a keeper then that would be a different situation. Then it would come down to a test of wills. Thankfully that is not what we are up against."

"Becky? Hey Becky!" Lisa called out. "Are you even listening to me?" Becky snapped out of it and returned her focus to the present.

"Oh, sorry Lisa. My mind was somewhere else."

"Still thinking about the meeting the other day, hunh?"

"Yeah, I can't help it. It's all so big. I can't get my mind off of it."

"Well, if me in a bikini can't get your mind of things, I'm just going to have to find another way to distract you." Lisa gave Becky a seductive smile and led her away from the water's edge, looking for a place where the two of them could have some privacy.

Becky wasn't the only one whose mind was elsewhere. Amy had a lot on her mind as well. The only difference was her concerns were of a more personal nature. For a while now she had been dealing with the fact that of all her friends she was the only one who was still single. It was becoming a bit of a problem for her. She didn't feel it was that big of a deal, not really. She was happy for her friends, she really was. But it was hard not to feel kind of left out of things as well. Looking around she saw the happy couples. Becky and Lisa were trying to be discreet, and failing, at trying to find a secluded spot where they could fool around unnoticed. That made her chuckle a bit. Sarah and Jenny were laughing and looking at each other longingly while building their sand castle. And Trista and Kaz were enjoying their time together even though they were getting their butts whipped at volleyball.

"And here I am, sitting by myself, guarding the luggage. Whoopee." She muttered to herself, everyone's bags sat in a pile nearby. Amy pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "I don't get it. I'm cute, approachable, and a lot of fun. Well, at least I think I am. You would think someone would of a least hit on me once." Before she could continue her train of thought Will's voice rang through the air.

"Burgers are done everyone! Come and get them while they're hot!" She called out. She set a tray piled with burger patties on a picnic table while Irma set out the condiments and buns. There were cheers as everyone raced to get some food. Lisa and Becky emerged from a large clump of beach grass. As they passed Amy she could see that they were slightly disheveled looking. Their hair was a bit messed up and they were adjusting their swimsuits.

"Lucky…" Amy muttered as they ran past. She took a deep breath and put a smile on her face as she went to join her friends.

"Hey, weren't Caleb, Cornelia, Elyon and Lillian all supposed to be here?" Becky asked a short time later as she munched on a burger.

"Yeah, they were." Will said. "I don't know what happened to them."

"Ehh, Cornelia probably chickened out. Didn't want to show up in a swim suit with her stomach all hanging out." Irma said with a shrug. "You know her." Before Will could respond her cell phone began to ring and she stepped away to answer it. At the same moment they could here someone's voice calling Nella's name coming from their bags.

"Hey! That's Marna's voice!" The young princess ran to her bag and pulled out a small mirror wrapped in gold.

"What's that?" Jenny asked.

"The Oracle gave us these so we could contact each other if there was a problem." Nella quickly explained. "Marna! I'm here what's going on!?" An image of Nella's green haired friend appeared in the mirror.

"Thank the light you're there! I was afraid I wouldn't get ahold of you in time!" Marna said quickly. "You and the Guardians need to get to Eldrin as quickly as you can! Logrim has found a new spot to look for the Heart of Exellis!"

"Where!?" Nella asked.

"You're not going to believe this, but he's going to Kendrif's graveyard!"

"What!? Is he mad or just plain stupid!?" Nella blurted out.

"Maybe both, I don't know. But he's taking only a handful of his men, this could be a perfect chance to take him down!"

"Thanks Marna! We're on our way!"

"You're welcome. Hey, Nella, what are you wearing?" Marna arched an eyebrow at the unfamiliar attire her friend had on. Nella went red in the face and stuttered an answer out.

"It's called a bikini. Apparently it's what Earth girls wear when they go swimming. Wasn't my idea, really, I tried to say no."

"Don't see why. Looks good on you." With that Marna closed the magical communication line and vanished.

"She always has to get the last word in." Nella said shaking her head.

"Okay, what's this graveyard Marna was talking about?" Becky asked.

"Kendrif's graveyard." Chase said gravely. "A place from one of the darkest times in Eldrin's history. Most of what we know comes from legend."

"Why is that?" Jenny asked.

"No one dares to go there. Any that do never come back out. It said to be haunted by the souls of the most evil and vile criminals from our past. Murders, rapists and the like. It was built by a wizard called Kendrif more than a thousand years ago. Why he did, no one knows, he was as evil as those he buried there. It was built underground and he buried the remains of executed criminals there, though it is said he didn't restrict himself to the guilty, supposedly many innocents were killed and placed there as well."

"Sounds like a swell guy." Trista said. "Must have been real fun at parties."

"It is said that those who haunt that place cannot move on for whatever reason. Their already twisted spirits driven mad by their imprisonment. There all kinds of stories of dark ceremonies and the like associated with that place." Chase shivered at the thought.

"You know, this might not be such a bad thing." Kaz said. "If Logrim really is stupid enough to go in there then I say we let the ghosts take care of him for us."

"Problem is, if the Heart of Exellis is in there then we have to go." Becky said. "There's too much risk of him finding it if it is there. Plus we can't count on him being taken out by ghosts either. C'mon, we better go get mom and the others." Everyone grabbed their stuff and headed back to the barbeque area.

"Becky! Everyone get your stuff! We got to go!" Will said as they got close. Irma and the others were hurriedly packing up. "That was Elyon on the phone, Cornelia has gone into labor!"

"What!? Not now! We just got a call from Marna, we have to get to Eldrin right away!"

"Oh that's just lovely! Guess Cornelia will have to do without us there!" Irma said.

"No, mom you guys go to the hospital. You should be there. We'll handle this."

"You sure honey?" Will said with concern.

"We'll be fine, just go!" Becky turned to the royal siblings. "Where's your gear?"

"We left it at the 'Silver Dragon'." Chase said. Becky just nodded. She pulled the Heart of Kandrakar out of her bag. They found a secluded spot and Becky opened a fold back to Heatherfield. After the siblings changed their clothes and the girls had transformed Becky sent Jenny to Kandrakar to alert the Oracle and the rest of the council what was going on. Moments later they were on Eldrin.

The place they found themselves was gloomy and dark, the huge trees of the forest stretched at least fifty feet into the air and blocked much of the sunlight out. The whole area had the look of a place that had not seen the touch of man for a very long time. Adding to the spookiness was the total lack of sound from wildlife. It seemed that even the animals of Eldrin were unwilling to even get near the graveyard.

"Oh this is so creepy." Sarah said.

"I told you, people don't dare come here. There is no way for me to convey the fear this place brings to hearts of our people." Chase said.

"Was this Kendrif guy really that bad?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah, he was. He terrorized our people back then. It's believed that he even helped create some of the criminals that he later had executed and buried in his graveyard. He was a tyrant, no question." Kaz explained.

"If he was so powerful what stopped him?" Trista asked.

"Our ancestor, queen Ardella. She was the one that finished him off. It was one of the first things she did to save our world. It's one of the reasons she's considered such a hero and why she was made queen, even though she never sought to rule our people, only free them." Nella said with deep reverence. Becky could tell she idolized and wanted to be like the ancient queen. Perhaps that was why she had been chosen to wield Eldengraft.

"So where's the entrance?" Becky asked. Chase pointed in the general direction and led the way. His grim silence and the look on his face spoke volumes. He really didn't want to be there. Only the extreme need of his world and its people was what brought him there. Otherwise he would have never set foot near that forest. They trekked slowly through the woods, the eerie silence putting them on edge. Wisps of fog wrapped around the trees didn't help things. They came upon a clearing, the ground bare except for a few patches of feeble grass. In the center was a weathered tree stump. As they got closer to it they saw that the center had been carved out in a half circle, the perfect size for a human neck. The stump had several nicks in it, like it had been struck repeatedly with something sharp. Dark stains could still be seen in the wood.

"Oh don't tell me that's what I think it is." Amy said in disgust.

"I'm afraid it is. This is where Kendrif would have people executed. The entrance to the graveyard isn't far from here." Chase said. Not waiting for anyone else to speak he continued to lead the group on. Becky wasn't sure what she expected the entrance to look like, but what they found certainly wasn't it. She supposed that from the ominous way Chase spoke of the place there would be some great and terrible doorway into a swirling portal to hell out of a horror movie. Instead there was just an opening carved into a large gray boulder. Yet despite its simple nature just looking at it sent chills up Becky's spine.

"No sign of any guards. Do you think we got here first?" Sarah asked.

"No, look, fresh shoeprints in the dirt. Looks like they all went in." Kaz said. He was kneeling near the entrance examining the ground. "It's hard to say exactly how many, they overlap each other."

"Alright, let's go. But be careful, there's nobody up here, but they may have left sentries farther in. Lisa." Becky nodded to the Air Guardian who turned invisible and went in ahead of the others. They were all reluctant to descend into the darkness of the tunnel, but they had no choice but to move forward. Becky used the heart to light the way, holding it in front of her. She let the others know that it was trying to warn her of something. Shadowy faces that seemed to be screaming kept appearing in the surface of the Heart. There was definitely something there. They reached the bottom where Lisa was waiting and came upon the entryway where several strange runes had been inscribed into the doorway.

"Do you know what those say?" Sarah asked Chase.

"No, it's not in any language that I'm familiar with."

"I don't like this. Do you think it's some sort of trap? Maybe you can't come back out once you pass the doorway." Amy said.

"One way to find out." Becky crossed over turned around and walked right back out. "Well, if it is a trap it's busted. Alright, let's go, but be careful, stay together. If there's any real danger either me or Nella will fold us out of here." They moved in slowly, wary of any hidden dangers. But it was hard to tell what was what. The darkness was deep, they could only see maybe ten feet in front of them. In the distance they could make out a faint purple light. Every now and then there would be a brief flare of blue-white fire that would vanish as fast as it appeared, no one knew what it was. They followed the trail left by Logrim, footprints in the loose soil of the graveyard. Even the dirt seemed dead, instead of being brown or black it was a cold gray color. Nothing lived in this place and it showed. They soon came upon the actual graves, rough cut stone markers with the name of the person carved into it. Each headstone also had a curious mark on it as well, a jagged looking swirl like mark above the name.

"Where do you think Logrim and his goons are?" Trista asked in a hushed voice.

"Not sure, looks like they made a bee line for that purple glow. Seems like it's the center point of this place." Becky said.

"There are so many graves. How many people are buried here?" Amy asked.

"No one knows for sure, but from the looks of it, thousands. Gods, what a dark place." Kaz said.

"Shhh! I think I hear someone up ahead! We're almost at whatever is glowing." Becky extinguished the heart and they all crept up to where Logrim and his men were. The purple glow was coming from five enormous crystals. The center one was a tall obelisk shape and was surrounded by four pyramid shaped crystals set at its corners. All of them sat on stark black pedestals covered in more of the strange letters that had been on the entrance. The group hid behind a low round wall the surrounded the plaza where the crystals sat.

"Well Pelth? Is it here?" Logrim asked the wizard.

"I am not sure yet my lord. Something about this place is making it hard to sense anything."

"Could it be those crystals? Are they concealing it?"

"I do not think that is their purpose. But I do believe that is what is clouding my senses. The large one is a vessel of some sort. The four smaller ones serve some other purpose, but what that purpose is eludes me."

"We should not have come here." Celia said, her face completely ashen. "The dead walk here. I can feel them."

"Quiet girl! Enough of your nonsense. Continue on like that and you will join the dead you so fear!" Logrim snapped.

"I wouldn't dismiss her outright if I were you." Kisarc said. He was fingering the handle of his axe and watching Terak who was darting his head this way and that. He sensed something that was making him nervous. Both Kisarc and Friv knew this to be a bad sign. Terak did not frighten easily. Logrim's men were ill at ease as well.

"Something is freaking them out, that's for sure." Lisa whispered to Becky.

"Yeah, but what?" The young leader of the Guardians was trying to figure out their next move and didn't notice that something was happening to Amy. She was looking around her, like she was trying to find the source of a sound. She got up, a faraway look in her eyes.

"Hello? Is someone there?" She called out. That got Becky's attention.

"Amy! What are you doing!? Get down!" She cried out, But the Water Guardian paid no heed to her friend. Becky went to pull her back down, but Amy wouldn't budge.

"Where are you? Do you need help?" Becky grabbed her around the middle and pulled her down, but it was too late by then.

"It's the Guardians!" One of Logrim's men called out. "Get them!"

"Damnit! If it isn't one thing it's another!" Trista shouted as she popped up and threw a pair of fireballs at the charging soldiers. Lisa and Sarah added their own powers to the mix, but Becky was still wrestling with Amy who was trying to get away.

"Amy! Snap out of it! We need to get in the fight!" She cried out.

"Hold on! I'm coming!"

"There's no one there! Who are you talking to!?" Amy struggled even harder. Whatever she was hearing she was desperate to get to it. Pelth fired an energy bolt that exploded near the two wrestling girls. The shockwave broke the two of them apart and before Becky could recover Amy had flown off. She flew over the crystals and disappeared into the darkness. "Amy!" Becky called out.

"What the hell got into her!?" Lisa cried out as she used an air blast on a few Shoran. "Where does she think she is going!?"

"It has to be something here! We need to go after her and get the hell out of this spook fest!" Trista yelled. She sent out a flame wave driving back their attackers. Sarah didn't say anything, she just concentrated on making dirt balls to fling at the enemy. For whatever reason she couldn't summon any plants. The royal siblings were all engaged in their own fights.

"Everyone fall back and regroup! I'll cover you!" Becky rose into the air and rained down a lighting storm. The enemy troops scattered and one bolt caught one of Logrim's men and flung him into the large central crystal. As soon as he touched it let out a high pitched chime and the entire chamber seemed to shudder. Everyone froze as an unearthly groan echoed throughout the place.

"Not good." Lisa said. That was when they heard the clicking, like someone tapping their fingernails on stone. Without a word Kisarc's men formed up around him. Logrim's men however were more disorganized and stood in place looking around. The clicking suddenly stopped and everything grew deathly still. No one moved, or even dared to breath, they could feel something out in the darkness watching them. The deathly silence was violently shattered when one of Logrim's men screamed as something reached out of the dark and dragged him off.

"What the!?" Friv yelled.

"We're not alone here!" Kisarc cried out. The creatures were on them then, nearly two dozen of them in sight alone. Great hulking insect like things, beetle like in appearance. Taller than even Kisarc, the shell like tops of them jagged and spikey. They were jet black in color with red markings on their undersides. Their six legs were needle like and lethal looking, they reared up to use the front two as weapons. Logrim's men were easy prey being scattered as they were, the creatures cutting them down in moments.

"Great! Cockroaches from hell!" Trista yelled as she leapt into action, blasting one of the things with a continuous stream of fire. It leapt at her, trying to impale her with one of its legs, but Kaz was there to deflect the blow then reversing the attack. His sword severed the offending limb and the creature wobbled before losing its balance and falling over. Becky was realizing how effective a combat team the two of them made. Kaz brought his sword down on what he supposed was the head, it was hard to tell, and instead of bleeding the creature shattered like glass.

"These things aren't alive!" Becky yelled to her friends. Logrim's forces were making the same realization when Kisarc brought his axe down on one of the monsters and it exploded in a shower of rock.

"They're constructs! Mindless guards meant to protect this place!" Pelth said as he destroyed another with an energy bolt.

"Sarah! They're made of stone! Take them out!" The Earth Guardian wasted no time in shattering the things one by one. Both groups thought they had found the only danger in the graveyard. No one noticed that more and more of the blue-white fires were appearing around the battlefield. Little did any of them know that the real horrors of that place hadn't even made themselves known yet.

Amy flew on, unaware of the battle her friends were fighting. Ever since she had walked through the entrance she had been hearing something calling to her. At first it was very feint, a tiny whisper that she at first had thought she had been imagining. But the closer they got to the crystals in the center the louder it became. The words didn't make total sense to her, but she got an overall sense of loneliness from whoever was calling to her. She felt compelled to go to them, to try help them and ease their pain somehow. Amy knew this persons pain, she knew it what it was like to feel alone. She was getting close, she could feel it. Amy landed near a grave that had been tucked away in a recess in the back wall.

"Hello? Are you there? Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." She called out into the dark. A blast of cold air from behind her made her spin around. A girl close to her own age was standing there. She had long dark hair that went to the middle of her back. She wore a simple green dress with long sleeves. Her face was a mask of fear and Amy could see the loneliness etched in her beautiful green eyes.

"Who are you?" The girl said. She shied away when Amy took a step closer to her.

"My name is Amy. I'm a friend." She said as gently as possible. Her head was beginning to clear a little and she was little worried that none of the others were around and she couldn't exactly remember how she got there.

"I'm Samantha." The girl said.

"Hey Samantha. How did you get here?" The girl just shook her head and backed up a little bit more. "Whoa, okay, take it easy. How about we just get you out of here?"

"I can't leave." There was a sad and lonely tone to her voice. "I'm all alone."

"Okay, well, if we can find my friends we can get you out of here."

"I can't leave, I have no friends, and I'm all alone." Amy was getting a little worried, something was wrong with this girl. She was obviously freaked out, which considering the place they were in was understandable.

"Look, it's okay. I know you're scared and alone. I want to help, but you need to trust me." She said gently, she held out a hand to the girl but she recoiled once more. "Okay, why don't you tell me about yourself. What do you like to do for fun?"

"I, I like to draw." Samantha said.

"An artist, that's cool. I draw myself sometimes. Mostly my favorite anime characters. What about friends? I know you said you didn't have any. But I'm sure that's not true." Amy sat down and patted the ground next to her. The girl looked at her and she reluctantly sat down next to Amy.

"Well, I suppose I do have one friend. But I haven't seen her in a really long time. I've been so lonely."

"I know that feeling." Amy said with a bit of a sad tone in her voice. "I've been feeling rather lonely myself lately. My friends all have a special someone. I don't"

"But why, you're very pretty, and nice." The girl said with a blush.

"Thank you." Amy said, blushing herself. "You're a pretty girl yourself." Suddenly in the distance there came the sounds of people screaming and fighting. Amy jumped to her feet. "Oh no. Samantha, my friends are in trouble! I know you're scared, but I need you to come with me. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you, I promise!" Amy went to grab Samantha's hand, but she passed right through it and an icy chill ran up her arm. "You're a ghost!" Amy said in shock. The ghost girl's eyes began to glow with a purple fire.

"You can leave this place, I can't, please don't leave me. You said you'd be my friend. Stay with me, I don't want to be alone anymore." The girl seemed to glide across the ground, coming straight at Amy. She quickly raised her hand and fired off a water bolt. It passed right through Samantha.

"I won't let you leave me alone!" She screamed as she crashed into Amy who fell to the ground, shaking. Samantha had disappeared. A moment later Amy slowly got back to her feet. For a brief second her eyes glowed purple.

"I won't be alone anymore." Amy said in a voice that wasn't really her own.

Nella smashed one of the rock monsters with Eldengraft then destroyed another with an energy blast. All around her the graveyards protectors were being destroyed, many of them falling to Sarah's powers. Kisarc had rallied his men and were doing almost as much damage. The few survivors of Logrim's men however were cowering near their leader who looked at them in disgust. Finally the last stone monster fell and both sides took a moment to catch their breath.

"Well, I think we solved the mystery of why no one comes out of here." Becky said out of breath. "We need to find Amy, I don't know what got into her."

"Uhhh, we may have more of a problem than just her." Lisa said. She pointed at Chase. He stood in place, his sword held loosely in his hand. He had the same faraway look in his eyes that Amy had.

"I was betrayed by the woman I love." He mumbled to himself. "I trusted her and was betrayed. Will everyone else I care about betray me?" One of the blue-white fires appeared in front of Chase. "Am I doomed?"

"Oh crap!" Becky shot a lightning bolt at the wisp which flickered and disappeared. Chase shook his head as he came to his senses.

"What happened?" He asked.

"This isn't over. They are coming." Celia said in fear. More of the wisps started appearing. They were everywhere.

"What is this?" Logrim said.

"Spirits! The legends were true! The souls of those buried here truly are trapped! I know what this place is! We must flee my lord! What we seek is not here! We will only find death in this forsaken pit!" Pelth cried out.

"Very well! Retreat!" The ghosts reacted instantly. They changed from blue-white to red and purple and formed into the horrible faces that Becky had seen in the Heart of Kandrakar. One of Logrim's men tried to slash one with his sword, but it harmlessly passed though the spirit. The ghost struck back, engulfing the unfortunate solider in dark fire. The man screamed and fell over.

"Blades will not harm them! We must go!" Pelth blasted a path through the angry spirits with his staff. He led the way out closely followed by Logrim and the remainders of his forces. Celia started to run but turned around and ran back almost immediately.

"Chase! You must flee! The spirits will destroy you! Please! Run!" She yelled.

"Celia! Behind you!" Chase called out. One of the ghosts had appeared behind the seer. She gasped in fear and spun around. The angry spirit would have finished her if Becky hadn't hit it with a lightning bolt, driving it off. Kisarc grabbed Celia and threw her over his shoulder and ran to rejoin the rest of his group.

"Get back!" Sarah cried. She threw dirt balls at the ghosts, but they didn't affect them. Nella drove them off with energy blasts from Eldengraft. Lisa's powers were also proving to be useless. Only Becky and Trista were able to fight them off.

"That's it! Time to go!" Becky raised her arms and fired off a storm of lightning bolts. "Nella! Fold!" The princess slashed her spear through the air to open a fold, but nothing happened. She tried again with the same result. Becky tried as well, but couldn't open one either. "Okay, plan B! Trista, Nella, get everyone else to the entrance! I'm going after Amy!"

"Not by yourself!" Lisa said. "I'm going with you!"

"We all are!" Sarah yelled.

"No, it's too dangerous! Chase and Kaz can't fight them, Sarah and Lisa your powers don't affect them. You guys can't stay here! Trista and Nella are the only other ones beside me who can fight them off so they have to escort you out! I'll find Amy! Just go!"

"We'll be back!" Nella said as the group reluctantly followed Logrim's group out. Lisa however refused to budge.

"I'm not going Becky! You need me! If she's hurt you won't be able to carry her and fight those things off at the same time!"

"Fine! Let's just hurry!" They flew off in the direction Amy had gone. Becky kept up a steady stream of lighting blasts to keep the ghosts at bay.

"I hope she went in one direction or we'll never find her!"

"Don't say that!" Becky said as she zapped another ghost out of the way. "We will find her! We just have to!"

"What do you think happened to her?"

"I'd say the same thing that happened to Chase. One of those ghosts got to her the same way one got to him. That must be how they lure you in. Prey on your insecurities then you finish you off."

Oh God. I hope we're not too late!" They doubled their pace. They finally came to the same lonely grave that Amy had found. They landed and found her footprints.

"She was here! Amy! Where are you!?" Becky called out in desperation. "Amy! Please, answer me!"

"I'm right here." Amy stepped out of the shadows. She seemed unsteady on her feet as she walked towards them, wobbling side to side with each step.

"Amy! Thank goodness! Are you alright? What happened to you?" Becky asked.

"I'm fine Becky." Amy said, the other two girls noting that she sounded funny when she talked.

"Are you sure? You don't sound alright." Lisa said.

"I'm so alone." Amy said. She stumbled up to Becky and cupped her face with one hand. "You're so beautiful Becky. Please don't leave me alone." Becky could only get out a surprised 'what?' before Amy kissed her hard. She shoved her tongue into Becky's mouth and grabbed her breast.

"What are you doing!?" Lisa cried out in surprise. Becky pushed Amy off of her and stumbled backwards.

"Amy, what has gotten into you!?" She yelled. She knew something had to be wrong with her friend, this wasn't the Amy she knew.

"I won't be left alone Becky." That's when Amy's eyes glowed purple. Lisa and Becky gasped in fright. Amy whipped her arm out and some unseen force flung Becky through the air. She hit the wall hard and fell to the ground.

"Becky!" Lisa yelled. She tried to go to her girlfriend, but was frozen in place by a flick of Amy's hand. The possessed Water Guardian floated over to Lisa and ran a hand through her blonde hair.

"So lovely." Amy, or more accurately the spirit that was inside her said. "I don't want to be alone Lisa. Please don't leave me alone." Amy then kissed Lisa as hard as she had Becky. She grabbed Lisa's butt with one hand and fondled her chest with the other.

"A…Amy! Snap out of it! T…This isn't you!" Lisa stammered out. Amy had kissed her way down to Lisa's neck. Amy gently pushed the Air Guardian to the ground and climbed on top of her. "Amy!" Lisa cried out as Amy's kisses began to go even lower. She struggled to get free, but was still being held immobile by whatever invisible force the ghost was using on her. Becky came to her senses just in time to see Amy crawl on top of Lisa. She got to her feet, trying to figure out how to get the spirit that was possessing Amy out of her. An idea came to her and she flew strait at Amy, charging her hand full of electricity.

"Amy if you can hear me I'm really sorry about this!" She crashed into Amy, knocking her off of Lisa. She slammed her open palm into Amy's chest and tazed her. Amy screamed and a ghostly figure flew out of her and Amy collapsed into Becky's arms. The ghost girl floated nearby disoriented.

"N-No!" The spirit cried out. "I won't let you take her! I can't be left alone again! She's the only who's even talked to me in over a thousand years!" Samantha screamed a ghostly wail, her eyes lit up with the purple fire again. She made to attack, but Becky raised her free hand and shot off a bolt of lightning and drove her back.

"Let's get out of here!" Lisa cried out. She grabbed the still unconscious Amy and flew off followed by Becky.

"No! Please no! I can't take the loneliness anymore! I can't take it anymore!" Samantha flew after them. More of the ghosts were showing up as well, all chasing the girls.

"What do we do!?" Lisa cried out.

"I got an idea! Stay close to me!" Becky threw her arms out and created a sphere of lighting around them, in essence making a shield that the ghosts couldn't penetrate. The flew low to the ground, following the trail they had used coming in. they were moving so fast a cloud of the grey dirt flew into the air behind them. They had outrun all the ghosts for except one. Samantha was still tailing them, all time calling out to them, pleading them not to leave her. "There's the exit!"

"NOOOOO!" Samantha screamed as they dashed through the doorway. There was a loud ringing sound as she collided with a purple shield that prevented her from crossing the threshold. "No! Please no! Not again!" Samantha fell to her knees and began crying. Becky and Lisa stopped in shock. The runes on the doorway now made sense. The floated there, unsure what to do. Amy came to right about then.

"Oh my head…" She muttered. She saw the ghost girl on her knees crying, trapped behind the force field. "Samantha!" She flew out of Lisa's arms and went to the crying spirit.

"Amy be careful!" Becky said.

"Oh Samantha! I am so, so sorry." Amy said. "This isn't right." Samantha looked up, she put her hand against the shield.

"Please…" She pleaded. Amy worked her mouth, not knowing what to do.

"Amy we got to go!" Becky said, grabbing Amy's arm.

"No Becky! Wait! You don't understand! We can't leave her!" Amy shouted, trying to break free from Becky's grasp. But she was too weak from being possessed and getting zapped. "She's not bad! She's just scared and alone!" Becky wasn't listening however, she pulled Amy away from the door. "I'm sorry…" She whispered as Samantha's weeping form flickered and vanished. They were halfway up the tunnel when they ran into Trista and Nella on their way back to help.

"Holy! What happened to you guys!?" Trista asked. She could see all three of them were a lot worse for the wear. Amy had a burn mark on the front of her shirt were Becky had shocked her. There was a very visible bruise forming on Lisa's neck and Becky looked like she had been through the spin cycle.

"No time for that now. Where are the others?" Becky asked as she pushed past the two stunned girls in a hurry to get out of the tunnel.

"We sent them on to Kandrakar. Whatever was stopping us from making folds is confined to the graveyard." Nella said. Amy was silently sobbing as they exited the tunnel into open ground. Becky immediately opened a fold to Kandrakar and took Amy over.

"Oracle!" She called out once on the other side. "Amy needs help!"

"What happened?" He asked as he took Amy from Becky. His hands began to glow as he worked his healing magic.

"She got possessed by a ghost. I had to shock her to get it out of her." Jenny gasped where she stood with Sarah. Amy was still crying.

"Ghosts?" The Oracle said. He continued to work his magic. It was obvious he had several questions he wanted to ask, but was saving them for the moment.

"The place was full of them. They attacked us, killed at least one of Logrim's soldiers." Becky said. "Is, is she going to be okay."

"She will be fine." The Oracle said. "You did well under difficult circumstances. Facing angry spirits is never an easy task. I am very proud of you all." He gently led Amy to a seat. "Cassidy. Would you be so kind as to fetch a glass of water for our young Guardian here. I daresay she needs it." Cassidy quickly left and came back with the drink. "Here, drink this. I have a good idea what you have been through today. Take a moment to relax." He patted her shoulder and took his usual seat. "I need to know exactly what happened today. Leave no detail out, it is important I know everything." Becky started with getting the emergency call from Marna and went from there. The Oracle listened intently as she described the forest, the execution block made out of the tree stump, and the doorway marked with the runes. He stopped her long enough to ask after the legends of the graveyard from Chase. Becky went on to describe the headstones, the dead grey soil. When she got to the plaza with the crystals the Oracle asked his first question.

"Were there five crystals? Purple in color? One a tall obelisk and the other four pyramids?"

"Yes. How did you know?" Becky asked.

"I will explain, for now please continue." Becky then went into how Amy started acting strange and how she flew off. She then described the fight with the stone guardians and the following attack by the ghosts. When she got to the part about when they found Amy was she was hesitant, afraid of embarrassing her friend. She knew it wasn't her fault, that she wasn't herself, but still.

"It's okay. I was kind of awake. I know what happened." Amy said sheepishly. She wasn't looking up at the others however. Becky sighed and went into how Amy first kissed her and then Lisa. She left out the part where Amy had felt them up. No one needed to know that.

"Whoa…" Jenny said. Finally Becky described shocking Amy to free her from the ghost and their escape. She was a bit out of breath and gratefully took a glass of water from Cassidy.

"Where did you get the idea for zapping her?" Trista asked.

"A _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ episode I watched with Amy. A couple of the crew members get possessed by ghosts trapped on this alien world. In one part of the episode they zap them to get the ghosts out of them. I didn't know what else to do, so…"

"You did everything right Keeper. Well done." The Oracle sighed before going on. "I know what this Kendrif's graveyard is. It is a foul magic device known as a soul battery, one of the most evil pieces of black magic there is. I had no idea one was on Eldrin. The crystals are the giveaway. The central one stores the energy that is drawn from the trapped souls. The four smaller ones have multiple purposes. First they are what prevent the souls from moving on. They also create and define the boarders of the field that feeds the energy to the central storage crystal. Lastly they prevent any sort of magical form of transportation either in or out of the area."

"What about those giant stone bug things?" Becky asked.

"Krillicks. Mindless magical constructs used both as custodians and protectors. When they sense a threat to the apparatus they attack. They then bury any victims from either themselves or the ghosts. Which only traps more souls, strengthening the device itself."

"But what is the whole purpose of this thing?" Lisa asked.

"Souls of the departed give a limitless form of energy off. The soul battery collects that energy and stores it. A mage then can draw on that energy to feed and amplify his powers. But to imprison a soul that way for that purpose is beyond evil. Eventually the souls lose themselves and become feral and destructive. If they were already violent in life that just makes it worse."

"That's not Samantha!" Amy's sudden outburst caught everyone by surprise. "She isn't some wild monster! She's just… alone."

"Amy…" Becky said.

"How do you know?" Sarah asked.

"When, when she was inside me, our minds… connected. It's hard to explain, it's still kind of fuzzy in my head. But I got to know her a bit. She didn't do what she did out of malice, she was just desperate. She wasn't trying to hurt me."

"Wait a minute… Samantha? Samantha Kellrin?" Chase said suddenly. "I know who it was you ran into. Samantha Kellrin is one of the most tragic tales from our history. Remember, this was a thousand years ago. Our people were fragmented, afraid. They weren't as tolerant of those who were different. She was fourteen and a magical prodigy. But this isn't what made her an outcast. No, she was in love with another woman. At the same time Kendrif himself was actively seeking to make her his bride. More than likely to gain access to her powers. Well, she confessed her love to the other girl. But she rejected Samantha outright. This girl then went to the village and told everyone what happened." Chase stopped to catch his breath.

"Well as I said, these were less than accepting times and the villagers turned on poor Samantha. To her credit she never tried to fight back using her magic. She had no desire to hurt anyone. From all reports she was a kind and gentle soul."

"She is. She never wanted to hurt anybody. She just wanted to be loved." Amy said in a whisper.

"Kendriff then seized his opportunity to claim Samantha as his own. He said if she agreed to be his bride he would save her life. She refused, she knew what a foul monster he was. Kendriff became enraged. He took Samantha away to that clearing in the woods we found. He told her either to marry him or he would execute her and trap her soul for all time. She again refused. Kendrif beheaded her himself." There were no dry eyes in the room.

"One good thing came of this cruel act. It was what spurred Ardella to bring Kendriff down and bring our people out of the darkness."

"Why is that?" Becky asked. It was Nella who answered.

"Because Samantha and Ardella were the best of friends."

"Her only friend." Amy said.

"Ardella was away from their village when this all happened. It is said she blamed herself for not being there to save her friend." Nella explained. The room grew silent. No one knowing what to say. Except for Amy.

"Can't we do something?! She doesn't deserve to be suffering like this! Please!" The pleading in her voice caused Becky to hug her friend.

"Do not worry. This will not stand. I will deal with this personally. I know how to disable the device and destroy it for good." The Oracle said as he stood up.

"Should we go with you? It's pretty dangerous in there." Becky said.

"You have already dealt with the Krillicks and the trapped spirits pose no threat to me. So no, you do not need to accompany me."

"Oracle, I'd like to come with you. Samantha… I don't want her… She needs someone there… She needs a friendly face." Amy didn't know how to say what she needed to say, but Oracle understood none the less.

"Very well, you may come along Water Guardian."

"Thank you."

"Amy, do you need us there?" Becky asked.

"No, this is something I need to do myself. I understand her pain." Without any further words Amy followed the Oracle through a fold back to Eldrin, leaving Becky and the others wonder what kind of demons were haunting their friend.

Night was beginning to fall on Eldrin. Thankfully the Oracle had brought them straight to the entrance so they did not have to cross through the execution grounds again. They slowly made their way down the tunnel to the entrance. Amy had questions she wanted to ask, but was afraid to do so.

"Speak your mind. I do not judge. If I can answer your questions, I will." The Oracle suddenly speaking out gave her enough of a jolt to get her talking.

"Why, why was I the only affected by the ghosts? I mean, no one else was possessed like me. Am I, am I weak?"

"No you are not. Some tortured spirits will personify their greatest pain. Think for moment, her words. She was desperate not to be alone. No doubt resulting from being shunned by her own people and being trapped for so long. When a person shares this pain in one way or another it allows that spirit to more easily connect with, and if it so desires, to possess that person. You share some of the same emotions and pain as Samantha. You have a weakness, but that does not make you weak. And remember, Chase was affected as well. One of the sprits latched onto his sense of betrayal at the hands of Celia. Given enough time everyone would have been affected in one way or another." Amy nodded at what he said.

"So, once you disable the crystals, all the trapped souls will be free?"

"Yes."

"So what happens to them? Where do they go?"

"That, even I do not know." They reached the doorway, Amy looked at it apprehensively. "Call to her Guardian. She will come. You two share a bond now."

"Samantha? Are you there?" Amy called out. In seconds she appeared at the door.

"Amy! You came back!" She said happily.

"Yeah. I did. And I brought someone here who can help. He knows how to set you free."

"Really?" Samantha said looking to the Oracle.

"Yes, I know how to disable the prison that binds you here. Your suffering is almost at an end." He said gently. Then he turned to Amy. "Why don't you wait here with Samantha. I will return when it is done." He passed through the door into the graveyard beyond.

"One moment, please." The ghost said to the Oracle.

"Yes?"

"If you go to my grave, there's something buried there of mine. Would you retrieve it for me? You'll know what it is."

"It would be my honor." The Oracle said.

"I, I don't know what to say Amy." Samantha said. Once the Oracle was gone

"You don't have to say anything. I think I understand. I learned a lot about you from when you were in my head. I feel like I've known you my entire life."

"Still, I'm sorry I did that, for what happened when your friends showed up. You were the first person I've encountered in centuries. I've been so alone for so long."

"I know. You're an amazing person Samantha. I would have loved to see some of your drawings. I bet you were great." Samantha blushed.

"You're amazing yourself Amy, and a Guardian as well. This anime you like so much sounds really neat, I'd really of liked to see it. Sounds interesting. I always liked tales of other worlds and magic. That's why I studied it in the first place. I guess you'd call me a nerd. I think that's the word I picked up anyways."

"Yeah, you are." Amy said with a smile, a single tear rolled down her cheek. They continued to talk and found they had much in common. Though in their hearts they already knew that. In the brief amount of time their minds had been connected they had learned much about each other. Samantha put her hand up against the shield that kept her trapped. Amy reached up put hers over Samantha's, the force field keeping them from touching.

"I wish I had met you when I was alive." Samantha said sadly. "Ardella would have liked you, that's for sure."

"Oh Samantha…" Amy said sadly. Right then the shield flickered and vanished. For the briefest of seconds their hands touched. And this time Amy felt warmth instead of cold.

"He did it. I can feel it. I'm free! I'm finally free!" Samantha reached out and her hand passed through the doorway. The barrier that had kept the spirits trapped was gone. There was a sudden wailing and dozens upon dozens of the blue-white flames rushed past them and up the tunnel.

"Yeah, you are. You all are." Amy said once the spirits had gone. She was crying freely now. Samantha's image flickered for a moment. "No! Don't go! I don't want to lose you!"

"I don't want to go Amy! I want to stay with you!" A soft crunching announced the return of the Oracle.

"Oracle! This isn't right! She deserves to have a life! There has to be something we can do!" Samantha's form flickered again. "Please! You must know some way to help her!"

"I'm sorry. I have no way to bring back the dead."

"But Cassidy!"

"That was a special case. It was an unexpected result of Nerissa's magic. I have no way of duplicating it." Samantha flickered again, taking longer to come back. She was fighting as hard as she could to stay on the mortal plane, but it was a losing battle.

"No, this isn't fair!"

"I'm sorry Amy. Looks like this is where we part. I'm sorry I can't stay." She turned and looked at the Oracle. "Did you find it?"

"I believe so. Is this it?" The Oracle showed something to the ghost.

"Yes, thank you." She turned back to Amy. "Give it to her. My first, last, and only gift to you Amy. Goodbye. I love you…" Samantha's form slowly faded and vanished completely.

"NOO!" Amy fell to her knees, tears flowing freely from her eyes. "It's not right…."

"I am so sorry. But she is at peace finally after all these centuries. She was lucky to have met you and she loved you, always remember that. Here, take this. It was her way of leaving you something to remember her by." He handed her a necklace. A gold chain with a pointed green crystal. Amy knew what that necklace had meant to Samantha and for her to pass on to her spoke volumes to Amy.

"Thank you." She slipped the necklace over her head and gripped the crystal tight. "I'll never forget you Samantha."

"Come, let us go."

A week passed and life continued. The girls were introduced to Cornelia's and Caleb's daughter Rebecca. Everyone agreed she was absolutely adorable. But for Amy, things were far from back to normal for her. The events at the graveyard still weighed heavily on her mind. Becky and the others tried to talk to her, but she refused to speak with them. Especially Becky and Lisa, whom she was trying to avoid. In an effort to raise her spirits it was decided that since the first trip to the beach had been interrupted that they would go again and finish what they had started. Cornelia made it this time and a few jaws dropped. She had gotten her pre-pregnancy body back rather quickly and she showed up in a black bikini that showed off her generous curves.

"Okay. I see what you mean about Cornelia in a bikini." Will said to Irma.

"Told ya…" Neither woman could keep their eyes off of the blonde. Cornelia caught them staring at her and decided to tease them with a playful wink and a sultry smile.

Later that night they had built a bonfire and everyone was laughing and talking. That is everyone except Amy. She was off by herself, sitting on a log near the shoreline, listing to the waves as they washed up on land. Losing Samantha was proving to be one of the hardest things she had ever gone through. She never realized how alone she had truly been feeling till now. She felt like a hollowed out log on the inside, an empty, lifeless shell of a person and she had no idea what to do about it.

"Can I join you?" Amy looked up to see Elyon looking down at her.

"Sure. It's a free country." Amy scooted over to make room for the queen of Meridian.

"I heard about what happened the other day." She said. "Want to talk about it?"

"Not really." Amy answered. "Who asked you to come talk to me?"

"No one. I'm here on my own. It helps to talk about these things, doesn't do you any good to bottle it all up inside. I think you already know that." Amy just shook her head. "Alright. If that's how you want to deal with things, okay." Elyon stood up and turned to walk away.

"I just feel so alone!" Amy blurted out suddenly. "I thought I was okay with being single. I really did. But I was wrong. I tried pretending I wasn't jealous, but I am. That's why I was affected more than the others. Why I was drawn to Samantha in the first place. We were the same. Two lonely souls looking for someone to connect with!"

"Amy, you know it's not as bad as you think. You'll find someone." Elyon sat back down and put an arm around Amy. "It's never easy being the last single person among your friends. Look at me, I'm the only one that's single from our group. Hay Lin, Cornelia and Taranee are all married. Will and Irma have each other. I'm the only one left who doesn't have someone."

"So how do you deal with it?"

"By believing that I will find love one day. Remember Amy, you're still young, you've got your whole life ahead of you and plenty of time to find your special someone. Your friends got lucky to have found love in their lives so soon. But just because you haven't yet does not mean you won't."

"I guess." Amy said, she didn't seem totally convinced. "This whole thing has left me so confused Elyon."

"What do you mean? Does this have to do with what happened on Eldrin? I know you've been avoiding Becky and Lisa. You know they don't blame you for what happened when you were possessed. They know it was Samantha, not you that was kissing them."

"I'm… I'm not totally sure that's true." Amy said slowly. "Yeah, a large part of it was Samantha. She was just so desperate for some sort of human contact she just kind of flung herself at the two of them."

"But?"

"But, I think there was a part of me that wanted to kiss them as well. I was awake while Samantha was in me. It was weird, I could tell what my body was doing, I just couldn't stop it, it's hard to explain. But when it came to the whole thing with kissing those two I didn't want to stop. It felt good to be kissing them." Amy covered her face with one hand and shook her head. "I've never had a reason to question my sexuality. At least not until now. I like guys, I do. But I've had girl crushes in the past too. I just never thought it was a big deal. I've thought about what it might be like to be with a girl just for the hell of it. I thought it was nothing."

"Till now that is."

"Bingo."

"Do you think maybe you were just feeling what Samantha felt? Your minds were merged after all."

"I don't think so. I could feel what she was feeling and what I was feeling at the same time. It was really surreal, I don't think I can put it into the right words for you."

"Well, maybe you should consider the possibility that you're bi. Sounds like you've at least explored it a little without realizing it."

"Maybe, I just don't know what to think right now." Amy sighed and stood up. "Elyon, what if I've found love and already lost it?"

"You mean Samantha?" Elyon said.

"Yeah, I know we didn't know each other that long. But in that short amount of time she was in my body I got to know her, even more so when we got to talk one on one. She was a sweet girl, who loved to draw, who only wanted to help others. What happened to her was so cruel. She didn't deserve it." Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "She could have been one of us Elyon. She would have fit in perfectly. And in the end I couldn't help her."

"But you did help her." Elyon said gently. "You were there for her, you saw to it she was set free. The fact that she has moved on means she's in a better place now. Her suffering is at an end. I know it hurts that she's gone, but that just means the bond you two shared, however brief it was, was real, and it was strong." Amy cried even harder and buried her face in Elyon's arm. She just let the young girl get it out and stroked her head. It was several minutes before Amy had calmed down enough to talk again. "Feel Better?"

"A little." Amy said, wiping the tears from her face.

"Well that's a step in the right direction at least. It's all right to mourn Samantha's loss, but don't shut yourself away, she wouldn't want you to stop living your life. Talk to your friends about what you're feeling. You need them right now, even if you are a little conflicted about what happened with Becky and Lisa. And there's something else you need to remember, you may feel alone sometimes Amy, but you're not. You have your friends, you have all of us." She patted Amy on the leg and got up. "I am going to head back to the fire. You should come join us. I think they're getting ready to make s'mores."

"I like s'mores…" Amy mumbled. She got up and dusted herself off. Her talk with Elyon had helped. She was still hurting, she was still unsure of her true feelings for Becky and Lisa. But she now realized that being single and being alone were two completely different things. And she wasn't alone, some part of her had known that all along, she just didn't listen at the time. Whatever the future of her love life was she had the courage to face it now. She gripped the crystal that hung around her neck, the one and only gift she had received form Samantha. Amy got up and went to join her friends. She hadn't messed with Trista in days. That was a problem she just had to rectify.

As she walked towards the fire Amy was watched from above by a dark haired girl in a green dress. The sea breeze didn't touch the lone figure up on the dune. All around her the sea grass swayed and the sand swirled, but she remained undisturbed by the wind. She wanted to stay, to go and be with the one she loved. But she couldn't linger in world of the living for very long, no matter how much she wanted to. Already she could feel an invisible force tugging at her, beckoning her back to the beyond where she belonged. Ardella was there waiting for her friend to return. Samantha smiled sadly for a moment before she faded from view.

**And there you have chapter 22, I hope you enjoyed it! I am also putting a poll on my profile. I am curious to see who you guys would want Amy to hook up with. I will state that this poll in no way will influence how the story will turn out. I'm just curious to see what you guys think. So vote if you like, it's just for fun.**

**Next chapter: The gang heads to Ultracon! Heatherfield's local anime convention! And will Amy figure out who, if anyone she wants to be with? More then likely the last fluff chapter before the end! It is coming, I promise! **


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